Commentators credited Russell Wilson and Ciara for powering Stanford to the Final Four, stealing the spotlight from the players

• Stanford punched its ticket to the Final Four with a big victory against Louisville Tuesday night.
• Ciara and Russell Wilson were in the stands cheering on the QB's sister, Cardinal star Anna Wilson.
• ESPN credited Wilson's enthusiasm for the win, inadvertently stealing the spotlight from the players.

The Stanford Cardinal punched their ticket to the Final Four, and Seattle Seahawks superstar quarterback Russell Wilson - whose younger sister, Anna Wilson, is a starter for the team - was in the stands to watch it all unfold.

The top-ranked Cardinal took down Dana Evans and the No. 2 Louisville Cardinals in a massive come-from-behind effort during their Elite Eight matchup Tuesday night. Tara VanDerveer's Stanford squad overcame a 13-point third-quarter deficit with an impressive late-game surge.

But instead of highlighting Ashten Prechtel's stellar 16-point second-half performance or Kiana Williams' leadership as the team's senior point guard, ESPN decided to devote a chunk of the broadcast to applauding Wilson for his crucial contributions as a Cardinal fan.

With roughly four minutes remaining in Tuesday night's contest, ESPN's Ryan Ruocco passed the mic to Holly Rowe to discuss Wilson's efforts to "quarterback the fanbase." Rowe then spent a full 45 seconds lauding the eight-time Pro Bowler and his popstar wife for standing up when "Stanford was down, and it was flat in here." Ultimately, she credited the power couple for spurring the Cardinal's comeback.

"Russell Wilson and Ciara stood up," Rowe said. "I saw Russell pull his mask down, look over to the other fans, and raise his arms up like 'Let's go!' He has been standing up ever since, and I really credit him with bringing some of this energy back."

"He got it started," she added. "He hasn't sat down, and I want to give [it to] big brother. That competitive fire he has as a quarterback is helping Stanford in this game."

Even during a moment of triumph for women's college basketball, ESPN felt the need to honor a male athlete at the expense of players on the floor and coaches on the sideline. And the audience took notice. Multiple women's sports reporters expressed frustration with the broadcast angle and pointed out the ridiculousness of crediting Wilson for lifting the team from the stands.

Even in 2021, women's sports are still constantly fighting for recognition within a system that has routinely denied them an adequate share of the spotlight. So to detour from an otherwise fantastic showcase of the excitement and quality of women's college basketball to focus attention on an NFL star who elicits around-the-clock coverage - even during his offseason - was an awkward, if not inappropriate and tone-deaf, display of negligence from the ESPN team.

The Cardinal move on to face fellow one-seed South Carolina in the first of Friday night's Final Four matchups, and Wilson will surely be in the stands to cheer on his younger sister. But if ESPN intends to use its platform to uplift women's sports, the broadcasters calling the game should resist diverting attention from the heavyweight battle on the court; after all, that's what the fans tuned in for - not a break-down of how a football player claps.