Actress La La Anthony is seen in Soho on June 27, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)

La La Anthony wants you to help level the playing field for women in sports during March Madness

Creating awareness for gender inequity in sports

Senior Writer

MARCH 22, 2022 4:59 PM EDTMAR 22, 2022, 4:59 PM EDT

Did you know that 2022 will be the first time the women’s NCAA tournament will be allowed to be called “March Madness?” Unfortunately, society has prioritized men’s sports and sees women’s sports as an afterthought.

According to a report published by Nielsen in 2021, 40 million people filled out a Men’s March Madness bracket, while a recent Degree study revealed that only 12% of people filled out an NCAA Women’s March Madness Tournament bracket.

NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Second Round Villanova vs. Michigan — A general view of Crisler Center’s overhead scoreboard with the NCAA March Madness logo signage is seen prior to the start of a game between the Villanova Wildcats and the Michigan Wolverines during the second round of the 2022 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament held at Crisler Center on March 21, 2022 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

To help level the playing field for women in sports during March Madness, Degree has partnered with La La Anthony and WNBA’s player Candace Parker to launch the Bracket Gap Challenge. This program seeks to help level the playing field for women and create awareness for gender inequity in sports.

“It is such an exciting time and definitely why I wanted to partner up with Degree on this,” Anthony told HOLA! USA during a Zoom call. “My son is an athlete; I played basketball in high school, so to finally have in 2022, the women’s NCAA Tournament called March Madness is like history and I’m glad that we’re all here to witness it.”

Celebrities At The Los Angeles Lakers Game — La La Anthony (L) and Kiyan Carmelo Anthony attend a basketball game between the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on March 13, 2016 in Los Angeles, California.

According to La La, the Bracket Gap Challenge “is trying to get people to bring more awareness to women’s basketball and just women’s sports in general,” adding. “ I’m excited to share this with my son and let him see the importance of women in sports.”

The tv-personality, author, and businesswoman also said that working with WNBA’s Candace Parker, the Female Athlete of Year for 2021, is an honor. “I’m honored; I’m humbled,” she assured.

WNBA Finals Game Four — Candace Parker #3 of the Chicago Sky runs down court as time expires in Game Four of the WNBA Finals at Wintrust Arena on October 17, 2021 in Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago Sky defeated the Phoenix Mercury 80 74.

For Anthony, the partnership also has a positive impact. “It allows us to advocate for more diversity in athletics. You would believe in 2022 that it would be an equal playing field, and unfortunately, it’s not. So campaigns like this challenge and creates awareness,” she says. “It brings more eyes to women’s sports, brings more conversation about women’s sports and why we’re not paying as much attention as we need to, and I think whenever you want to see change, it starts with a conversation.”

Candace Parker + Degree® launch the Bracket Gap Challenge

Participants of the challenge can become the grand prize winner. Those with the best bracket will receive $100,000 ($25K cash prize for themselves and $75K to be donated by Degree to the women’s college basketball program).

To fill the bracket, you can visit BracketGapChallenge.com. The more women’s brackets completed, the more awareness and viewers for the women’s games.