[OverAndBack]

I have never heard a coach of a female basketball team (or soccer team for that matter) use anything but the term "man to man" (specifically for defense, obviously) or "man marking" (more in soccer). They do it and admit that it's just the way it is.

I think it's partially because it takes fewer syllables to say "man to man" than "person to person" (which sounds like you need an operator to complete it) or "woman to woman."

Or it could be that "man to man defense" is a concept and has nothing whatsoever to do with gender. That's just what it got named because the sport has, until the last, what, 50 years or so? been played and coached predominantly by men. Who got to make up the rules and the terminology.

The coach described here is the first coach or player of a female team that I have ever heard of not being on board with the term "man" to refer to a female player in a strategic sense.

I don't think it's an argument you can win, though. I would have said "Coach, to be honest with you, it's my understanding that it's a common coaching term that has nothing whatsoever to do with the gender or the perception of the femininity or masculinity of any of the players on the court. If it's something you feel strongly about, all I can tell you is you should take it up with your coaches' association if you have one, and if there's a consensus that it needs to be changed, take it further."

What I would then think, but would not say, would be "Good luck with that."