I think the difference is that in the US our mens leagues, at least in everything but soccer or like Sumo, are like literally the best in the world. Mens vs woman’s basketball here is a ridiculous comparison here whereas the gulf between the quality of the Australian National basketball league and the girls Aussie league probably isn’t as vast. If both options have a like veneer of amateurism then it’s easier to interchange imo, and less offensive when the local activist sports writers try to gaslight us into seeing them similarly.