Rebecca Lobo, a legendary women’s basketball player and ESPN pundit, saw a heartbreaking case of sexism and shared it with followers on social media.

“Something happened to me that’s never happened before,” she began her narrative.

Lobo was leading her 15-year-old son’s AAU team when one of the players got knocked down. Naturally, she responded by exclaiming, “That’s a foul!” which resulted in a technical foul from one official. Nothing unusual there. But then another referee approached Lobo.
“So, as the kid on the other team is shooting a free throw, the other ref came over and said, ‘Your kid slipped,'” Lobo said. “And I replied, ‘He didn’t slip; he got fouled.'”

I’ve been coaching my son’s basketball teams for the last six years. Today, something new happened. It wasn’t amazing.

Been coaching my son’s basketball teams for the past six years. Something new happened today. It wasn’t awesome. pic.twitter.com/buL6rJNKT9

— Rebecca Lobo (@RebeccaLobo) May 17, 2024

Lobo stated that she reacted with a typical tone of voice and loudness. Despite not shouting, the UConn standout and WNBA All-standout was astonished by the response when she recounted the situation.

“And the ref, a male, looked at me and said, ‘This is a mature man’s game. “This is not a women’s game,” she added, still stunned that this happened in 2024.
The first question that comes to me is whether the referee realized who he was speaking to. Lobo is one of the biggest names in women’s basketball, having won the national championship with UConn in 1995 and having her jersey number honored by the school. She earned a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. She played six seasons in the WNBA, including its debut season.

Never mind that the referee was simultaneously refereeing a game between 15-year-old players. There are not yet any “grown men” on the court.

Rebecca Lobo is also a prominent broadcaster for collegiate and professional women’s basketball. She illustrated this at the conclusion of her video by inviting viewers to watch Saturday’s WNBA game between the “grown women” of the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty, which Lobo will call on ABC alongside Ryan Ruocco.

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Unfortunately, it’s reasonable to assume that the referee Lobo dealt with will not be watching. Some folks still have a long way to go toward acceptance.