The impact of the economy on women's basketball:

When athletic departments are affected, the hit on the programs is felt at events such as the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletic Women's Basketball Tournament at Oman Arena this week.

Rob Edmisson, the head coach of the women's team from Oklahoma City, said that his school has been making budget cuts for the past few years.

"The budgets for a lot of the private schools have been shrinking for a few years, and we've had to make cuts all around," Edmisson said. "When we make trips like this, we have to spend our money wisely and save as much as we can."

The knock on effects will impact programs on all levels -- recruiting, marketing, scheduling, scholarships and salaries.

Here's hoping the WBCA and its constituents are thinking long and hard about the choices they'll need to make and creative solutions they might devise.