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