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When I think of women’s college basketball, I am so often reminded of why I began to absolutely fall in love with the sport and that was due in part to legendary Head Coach Kay Yow. What a legacy Coach Yow has left, not only for women’s basketball and all sports, but for individuals in general. A lady who faced so many struggles in life, yet she mustered up the strength and courage to keep pressing forward. Her legacy lives on, not only forever imprinted in the hallowed halls of Reynolds Coliseum and throughout the university of North Carolina State, but her legacy now also lives on through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. Each year, primarily in the month of February, universities throughout the nation host “Play4Kay” games where proceeds raised from admission sales or other fundraisers the schools hold go directly to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. It is also during these “Play4Kay” games where you see the teams wear their pink uniforms and shoes, as well as their coaches adorning themselves in various shades of pink. These gestures really bring a smile to my heart, as the Kay Yow Cancer Fund is an organization that is very dear to me. I try to go to a few of the “Play4Kay” games myself, and even when the “Play4Kay” games are over, I will still occasionally wear my pink – and nothing warms me more than to see coaches wearing their pink, long after the “Play4Kay” games have ended. In a way, it’s hard to critique the coaches and their attire when they are wearing pink, since it holds such a symbolic meaning; yet, as with anything else, there are times when the pink is overkill, too much, doesn’t match, etc., but there are those select few who can wear it and make me even more proud. So, let’s examine a few of our individuals who have donned their pink during “Play4Kay” and even after “Play4Kay” but still supporting the cause!
We all know it wouldn’t be appropriate to have a “Coaches Collection” entry that does not include Kim Mulkey, bless her heart! So I must say, that the pink shoes she wore were actually killer – I’m a huge fan of high heels and even though I am tall, yes, I will wear them myself. So I do like the pink shoes and while they do match with the pink pants, sort of, I would still say….umm…that might be pink overkill. Maybe she should’ve worn a pink top with black pants to create some distance from the pink shoes and not make the pink blend together. And, as far as the other outfits ………..well, where do I even begin? Or, what exactly is it? Do you remember those things we used to have in school where they had these random colored bubbles and hidden inside of that image was a number or letter or some object that we were supposed to find? When I look at Kim’s jacket, it reminds me of that and I find myself constantly trying to find the number “4” or something in her jacket’s pattern. At least the second time she wore the jacket, albeit during the NCAA Tournament Semi-Finals, she wore blue pants – if you’re going to wear this interestingly, splattered pattern, don’t wear it with pink pants, keep it with the blue. And I can’t even recall what color shoes she had on – there is honestly no telling. So Kim, while you really did try to support the wear pink campaign, I much preferred the outfit you wore to the Baylor/UConn “Play4Kay” game with the pink jacket trimmed in black – much more stylish than this splattered paint looking, multi-colored, unknown, indescribable jacket featured here. I’m terribly sorry Baylor lost in the 2013 NCAA Tournament, but maybe it has saved us in the long run from more fashion mishaps. (Sorry, Kim, I still do really think you are awesome!)
Part of me feels really bad to include Kellie Harper in my blog, especially since she is no longer employed with NC State University, but she still must be included. For the past two Hoops for Hope games at NC State, Kellie’s outfits were drastically different (left and right in the picture above). The pink suit on the left is very, well, pink, and adding the Mulkey-like shoes, to me, is again a bit of a pink overkill. Here, I would’ve either worn the pink suit and some other color pair of shoes, or worn the pink jacket with a black skirt and the pink shoes. Plus with Kellie’s hair color, too much pink somewhat washes her out and makes everything appear to be too plain. Then we have the photo in the middle – the black jacket with pink turtle neck—and it is actually fine – my only issue there is with the hair! Something just doesn’t seem quite right. But I will say that during the “Play4Kay” game hosted by UNC vs. NC State, Kellie was, at least, the only person on the NC State team who actually wore pink! Thanks!! And then there is this year’s Hoops for Hope outfit … the pink jacket is great; the shoes are okay; but the skirt…well it was hideous – you can’t actually see it well in the picture, but believe me, those of us sitting inside Reynolds just had to shake our heads. But all in all, Kellie did a bit better than Kim Mulkey did. I will miss seeing Kellie at NC State and wish her the best for her future.
And then there is Muffet McGraw…actually, Muffet just epitomizes pink and she pulls both of these outfits off splendidly. The simple, yet rather large, pink scarf adorned with a classy black jacket and shirt looks terrific on Muffet. The other outfit with a black skirt and jacket with the pink shirt is perfect. The black boots are a little questionable, but I think they are passable. She balances her pink out with other colors – she isn’t “pink heavy” meaning – she isn’t wearing all pink, she’s mixing it with other colors to try to balance it out, and it works. I was initially concerned with Muffet wearing pink, as I was fearful that it might clash with her hair color, and while it obviously doesn’t go as well as the leopard print or some other colors I have seen her wear, the pink is a nice addition. But then again, it just proves why Muffet McGraw has been ranked in the top two in The Coaches Collection series for her fashion tastes … yet, Muffet still is coming in runner-up to our ultimate fashionista…
Is it possible for Chris Dailey to ever go wrong? (Okay, maybe so, I did witness an outfit recently that caused me to shake my head and wonder if she was feeling okay). But when it comes to pink, she does it second to none – she is the best, she is and remains the fashionista for two weeks in a row! For the entire month of February, Chris wore pink – whether it was a skirt or a shirt or a bracelet, something on her was pink for the entire “Play4Kay” month, not just the UConn “Play4Kay” game. Massive props to CD for supporting the Kay Yow Cancer Fund!! In addition, she also has worn her pink several times during the post-season. That makes me proud! (And not to mention I received a note in the mail from her regarding the Kay Yow Cancer Fund!!) Anyways, Chris Dailey is a fashion icon in the basketball world. Pictured here are a variety of the pink outfits she has worn both this season and in the past few seasons. And, notice how CD NEVER wears all pink like some of our others featured above. She always coordinates the pink and the black and it looks smashing. The only one I really have issues with, yet it doesn’t even involve the pink, is the really odd pair of hose she wore a few years ago – umm, really Chris, don’t do that again! But this year she managed to get Geno in the pink wearing spirit by wearing a pink necktie TWICE – obviously at the “Play4Kay” game but even the week before when they played at Rutgers (also where CD graduated). My favorite is her pink accessories she wears, as well, in particular her breast cancer bracelet. Thanks, Chris Dailey, for your support for the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and for always knowing how to pull any type of wardrobe off!
While I have never been a huge fan of the color pink, recently my wardrobe has accumulated a little bit more. I tend to wear the darker shades of pink rather than the lighter, pastel pink. But either way, I proudly wear my pink in honor and memory of those battling breast cancer. I hope and pray that one day we will be able to find a cure for this dreaded disease that has taken so many precious people away from us. Thank the Lord for the advancements in treatments that we have now, as we have seen so many women battling this disease and continuing to be survivors. I encourage each and every one of you to visis the Kay Yow Cancer Fund’s website (www.kayyow.com) and read about what an amazing organization it is. If you feel compelled, please help support this cause and keep the legacy of Coach Kay Yow alive for many, many years to come. Next year, even if you are not a women’s basketball fan.
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