Vice President Kamala Harris made a mistake when she said that women’s NCAA Tournament brackets were only introduced in 2022 during an interview with Spectrum News in North Carolina. She mentioned that this was a sign of progress in women’s sports and an opportunity for more coverage of women athletes. While the Women’s Tournament started using March Madness branding in 2022 as she referenced, brackets have been a part of the tournament since the first Division I Women’s Tournament in 1982.
Despite her error regarding the introduction of brackets, Harris has shown support for women’s sports in the past. In 2021, she shared a photo of herself filling out her brackets, correctly predicting one Final Four team in both the men’s and women’s brackets. In her women’s bracket, she picked South Carolina to win, with Stanford, USC, and UCLA making the Final Four. However, the actual Final Four teams included Iowa, UConn, and NC State, with undefeated South Carolina not making it to the final rounds.
In her men’s bracket, Harris chose UConn as the winner, with a Final Four field featuring Tennessee, North Carolina, and Marquette. However, UConn will now face off against Alabama, and the winner of that game will then play the winner of Purdue vs. NC State. Despite her errors in predictions and the confusion over the introduction of brackets, Harris has shown enthusiasm and support for March Madness and women’s sports, encouraging more coverage and recognition for women athletes.
Harris’s mistake in stating that women’s NCAA Tournament brackets were just introduced in 2022 could have been a confusion with the fact that the tournament started using March Madness branding that year. This move was seen as progress in promoting women’s sports and giving female athletes more recognition and coverage. While brackets have long been a part of the tournament since the first Division I Women’s Tournament in 1982, the branding change in 2022 highlighted the significance of the tournament and the talented athletes competing.
In conclusion, Vice President Kamala Harris made an error in mentioning the introduction of brackets in the women’s NCAA Tournament in 2022, when in fact, they have been a part of the tournament since 1982. Despite this mistake, Harris has shown support for women’s sports and encouragement for more coverage and recognition for female athletes. Her enthusiasm for March Madness and involvement in filling out brackets in the past demonstrate her commitment to promoting and celebrating women’s sports. While the confusion over brackets may have been a misstatement, Harris’s overall message of progress and support for women in sports remains clear.
