It’s become a common theme within today’s sports landscape that business is intertwined with everything both on and off the field or court.
Name, Image, Likeness is largely to thank for this at the collegiate level, but at the same time, the old saying “don’t mix business with pleasure” has all but been ignored at even the high school level as well.
Unfortunately, in today’s world, popularity is everything. Take for example the recent women’s college basketball national championship between UConn and South Carolina. Two historic programs, with two elite coaches, who will no doubt be taking their talents to the next level at the end of their collegiate tenures.
Huskies’ senior standout Azzi Fudd received the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament after putting up 24 points against the Gamecocks in what was a commanding 82-59 victory, ultimately securing UConn’s 12th national championship in the process. However, despite Fudd’s dominant performance, many fans posted via social media their disappointment that future WNBA star Paige Bueckers ended her time as a Husky legend without picking up a noteworthy accolade to add to her resume.
Now, let the record reflect that Bueckers herself is about nothing except her team. She’s severely unselfish and is a player willing to do whatever it takes on both ends of the floor to help her teammates in the best way possible. To her, it doesn’t matter if she scores 40 or 4, as long as the name on the front of the jersey comes first. Is it a coincidence, though, that Bueckers’ fans want their favorite player to be the face and name signed to every achievement?
It’s no coincidence, surely, because sports in many ways have become a popularity contest, which ultimately leaves players like Fudd and many others flying under the radar. It’s no fault of Bueckers or of Fudd. It’s the fault of our current society, and the reason why even for young players looking to advance to play for a premiere program, it’s time we all face the harsh truth behind our current reality.
I recently came across a post on X where the person appeared to hold hostile feelings toward the release of the 2025 W.Va girls’ high school basketball all-state list. Within the post, the author seemed disgruntled by the list of names on both first and second-team all state, essentially pointing out that they believed the athletes that received this honor were “not as good” as players on a particular team he knowingly supports.
The post went on to explain that because his chosen team won a state championship, it was unfair that all five starters for the 2025 roster did not receive first-team all state honors.
As always, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it’s not a surprise that many people choose to take these opinions to social media platforms where they can openly express their thoughts and feelings for the world to see. However, with my current platform and previous experience, I also have an opinion on the subject.
During my playing days, receiving all-state honors used to mean something. Of course, the ultimate prize was to put yourself in a position to make a run to Charleston and finish the job with a state title in hand. It would be inaccurate, though, to say that many of us did not work hard all season to prove something to ourselves and to others at the end of the year.
It wasn’t a “right” or a “given” that if our team had tremendous success all year that multiple players on our roster would earn all-state honors. It was never even a given that the five of us that took the floor night in and night out would reach honorable mention status. It wasn’t a right we felt we were owed or deserved. It was a privilege to open the paper on the day the names were released and see that the time, energy, and dedication many of us had worked at for months had paid off.
As a sportswriter, I’ve also seen numerous posts via social media in the past several weeks discussing the underrated talent within the Mountain State. While larger states like Florida, California, and Texas certainly have more resources and produce five star talent that ultimately lends itself to some of the top programs in the country, West Virginia, despite the lack of funding and exposure, has proven itself many times over the years as one state where talent can be found if one is willing to find it.
With that underrated talent, though, comes the flip side of the coin, because there are players like UConn’s Fudd that are flying under the radar for their respective programs. Ultimately, sometimes postseason accolades like all-state teams become a popularity contest rather than what they initially were supposed to represent: the end of the season individual recognition for players who led their squads all season long in more than just scoring, and especially in more areas than just being the face of a team because of off the court popularity.
Now, it’s not all bad.
There are absolutely names on this year’s list for both girls and boys that have more than proven themselves as talented individuals. However, when reflecting back on the initial post via “X” surrounding the disappointment with the list, it’s crucial to remember this one piece of information. Winning a state championship is a TEAM effort. All-state honors are individual.
Therefore, it’s unfair to assume that because five starters stepped on the floor together and brought home a championship, that all five of those players lived up to expectations all season long in order to earn the ultimate individual accolade in the postseason. Yes, every player brings something to the table for their respective program. What most people fail to realize, though, is that some players stand out for more than just the amount of times their name appears in the paper throughout the season.
As I previously stated, basketball, like many other sports, is one that requires a collective unit to achieve success. One player, or even two, cannot finish the job all on their own. What one player can do, however, is work in the offseason when nobody else is watching to help their team when it counts and help themselves achieve their goals and dreams.
At the end of the day, coming from someone who spent countless hours in and out of the gym growing up, seeing your name on the W.Va all-state list is even bigger than it being about your individual success. It’s about the work you put in throughout a long, grueling season to uplift your teammates and to put yourself in the best shape for long-term success.
What all-state honors are NOT, and should never have become, is the equivalent to senior superlatives for high schools. It doesn’t matter how many connections you have off the court, how many people you know, or how you look on a certain day. Talent, leadership, and character are the only requirements that should matter when these postseason lists come hot off the press.
As a state, if we want to continue to give our athletes the best exposure possible in order to set them up for long-term success, we have to stop making everything about popularity. We have to understand that sometimes the player that appears the most quiet on the floor is in fact the one that is helping their team the most.
It’s OK to believe in every player. It’s more than OK to believe that your respective program’s roster is the best and deserving of every award and accomplishment. It’s not OK, though, to give out awards based on popularity or based on the fact a name has been published in the paper a record number of times in a season.
We should all do well to think about Azzi Fudd in times like this. She may not possess the stardom and captivate audiences the way Bueckers does when she steps foot in a room, but her sheer will and natural talent are ultimately what makes her stand out in a crowded room.
The high school level should be the same. And all-state honors should return to their origins if we hope to give W.Va. athletes the right amount of recognition they deserve. In essence, if you see a player has averaged 4.3 points per game all season and has fallen behind in every statistical category, while also maintaining bad character or failing to lead under duress on the court, then think twice before coming down on the players who have rightfully earned what’s theirs at the end of the year.
We all know mixing business with pleasure is frowned upon. It’s time to stop treating sports like popularity contests and instead treat them like a platform where only the best are awarded the most.
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