Rutgers women’s basketball invited to WNIT despite 19 losses

The Rutgers women's basketball team, with a record of 11-19, has received an invitation to the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). They even secured a bye in the first round. Rutgers will play the winner of a matchup between Army and Bryant in the second round, scheduled for March 23-25. The location of their game is still to be decided. The invitation has sparked criticism on social media. Many people are questioning how a team with 19 losses can be included in a postseason tournament. Sports columnist Steve Politi expressed disbelief, saying it seems unfair that Rutgers made it to the WNIT despite their poor record. Others echoed his sentiments, pointing out that the team has one of the weakest records among power conference teams. This will be Rutgers' third appearance in the WNIT. The team previously won the championship in 2014 and reached the second round in 2016. In 2018, they turned down a WNIT bid after not being selected for the NCAA tournament. The response to Rutgers' inclusion in the WNIT reflects ongoing debates about fairness and criteria in collegiate sports.