State abortion bans and talent acquisition: evidence from NCAA women’s college basketball

Abstract

We examine the labour market choices of elite women’s college basketball recruits in response to the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization United States Supreme Court decision that overturned federal abortion rights protected by Roe v. Wade. Despite widespread media attention, limited empirical work has evaluated the effect of Dobbs on women’s labour market decisions. Our study evaluates the immediate effects of the Dobbs Supreme Court decision within the context of women’s college basketball using ESPN recruiting data from the 2021–2024 high school classes. We assess whether institutions located in states enacting total abortion bans were less likely to attract elite playing talent. After controlling for head coach and institutional characteristics, our differences-in-differences analysis indicates individual state abortion bans significantly altered the commitment decisions of women’s college basketball recruits. Institutions located in states enacting full abortion bans experienced a statistically significant drop in their recruiting ranking of over eight and one-half places. This suggests talented female workers consider healthcare law when selecting a labour market match.