At the turn of the 20th century, a sporty American woman would have had relatively few arenas to test her skill: croquet, maybe, or archery, or basketball played gently in an ankle-length skirt. Public displays of aggression were almost universally condemned, and colliding was especially unsavory. To avoid it, women's-basketball competitions prohibited 'snatching' the ball until the 1960s. Although men's and women's sports generally follow the same fundamental objectives today'stealing the basketball is a smart tactic in anyone's game'physical contact in women's sports remains controversial. When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese exchange elbows in the WNBA, outrage and concern inevitably follow. Meanwhile, NBA players sparring over the ball, or NHL players outright brawling, is typically treated as business as usual. And yet, girls seem to be more interested than ever in contact. Ice hockey, rugby, and football (of the tackle, seven-on-seven, and flag varieties) are all among the...
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