Tag: Box Out Colon Cancer

Lindsay Gottlieb on Caitlin Clark in Box Out Colon Cancer interview

Lindsay Gottlieb discusses Caitlin Clark and Lisa Bluder in part two of our Box Out Colon Cancer interview.

This is part two of our interview with USC women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb, who spoke about her partnership with Box Out Colon Cancer in part one of our Q&A. Here in part two we will talk about Caitlin Clark and her legendary head coach at Iowa, Lisa Bluder, who just retired.

Trojans Wire: What are your thoughts on Caitlin Clark at the WNBA level?

Gottlieb: I had a chance to spend some time with Caitlin at the Wooden Awards and she was such a great person to be around and I’m proud to have her as an ambassador of our game.

What Caitlin and many players in our sport have done to elevate the profile of women’s basketball has been incredible. There were certainly incredible players before Caitlin; she wasn’t the first, but to see her handle the attention and pressure she was under and still perform at that level consistently – I was so impressed.

CC will draw eyes to the WNBA, which is good for everyone. People will see how tough the other players in the league are, too. She’s going to be a great pro, and I look forward to her continued success in the WNBA.

Trojans Wire: What were your thoughts on Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder recently retiring?

Gottlieb: What a legendary career and an iconic figure in the Big Ten over the past two decades. Lisa and I spent some time together last month at the Wooden Awards and she’s had such a successful career to leave as Big Ten career wins leader. I wish her nothing but the best in retirement! It is a bit bittersweet as we transition to the Big Ten that we don’t have the opportunity to square off next season.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.

Part 1 of the Lindsay Gottlieb ‘Box Out Colon Cancer’ interview

Lindsay Gottlieb sits down with Trojans Wire as part of the Box Out Colon Cancer awareness program.

The “Box Out Colon Cancer” campaign is raising Colorectal Cancer Awareness. The campaign features from Kentucky basketball star Jamal Mashburn and USC Trojans women’s basketball head coach Lindsay Gottlieb.

We had a chance to sit down and chat with coach Gottlieb about the Box Out Colon Cancer campaign, Caitlin Clark, the rise of women’s basketball in 2024, and USC’s top-tier ranking heading into the new season.

Learn more at BoxOutColonCancer.com.

Trojans Wire: Tell us about Box Out Colon Cancer 

Gottlieb: Box Out Colon Cancer is a new campaign created in response to the increasing rates of colon cancer diagnoses and deaths among adults under the age of 50, and to increase screening for colon cancer beginning at age 45, which is recommended by the American Cancer Society. Colon cancer is the nation’s No. 2 cancer-related killer and affects people of all races, genders and ethnicities.

The campaign kicked off in March, led by former Kentucky legend Jamal Mashburn, and I recently joined forces with the teams at Exact Sciences and The Blue Hat.

Trojans Wire: How did you get started teaming up with Box Out Colon Cancer?

Gottlieb: As the reach of women’s basketball grows, so does our platform, and I want to make sure I use my platform to help others. So, when Jamal Mashburn challenged me to join in, I happily accepted that challenge. As part of that, I’m encouraging all people 45 and older to get screened. 

Both with basketball and colon cancer, the best defense is a good offense. When caught in early stages, colon cancer is treatable in about 90% of people. I encourage others who are 45 and older to get in the game, too. Talk to your doctor about screening options that may be right for you.  

Trojans Wire: Let’s talk on the court. What has the rise of women’s college basketball in 2023-24 meant to you overall? 

Gottlieb: I’m really excited to see what comes next in women’s college basketball, especially after having a front row seat to seeing the rise and the hype driven by Caitlin Clark and others to elevate the profile of the game.

I think what’s most exciting is the fact that there’s a great opportunity for players like JuJu (Watkins) to have the spotlight with so many more TV windows and more opportunities for exposure for the next generation of stars in the women’s game.

As someone with more than 20 years of experience as a coach, this season will be an amazing experience getting to see a generational player like JuJu have the opportunity to grow in front of our eyes.

We’ve come such a long way to where we’re having this excitement for the game even in the offseason. It’s a transformational moment in women’s basketball that we’ve all been working towards. Now we want to take advantage and use our place in the game to keep driving this rocket ship upwards.

*

We thank Lindsay Gottlieb for her time and her thoughtful answers. We also extend our thanks to the organizations which made this interview possible.

We invite you to check out Exact Sciences and the Blue Hat Foundation.

Learn more on how to Box Out Colon Cancer.

Visit our friends at Fighting Irish Wire, Buffaloes Wire, and Ducks Wire. Follow our newest sites, UW Huskies Wire and UCLA Wire.

Check out more NFL draft coverage with the USA TODAY Sports NFL Draft Hub.