I remember reading this sentiment somewhere in a book or online a while ago and I thought the same thing then -
(So as not to generalize people

) -
Some women like attention BUT from the man she DESIRES it from. If some random man does not sit up & take notice of a woman, it will not pique her curiosity about him as some people (cough) aren't checking for someone who isn't checking for them (cough). Truth.
It seems that liking attention is a dirty thing. I haven't heard a legit explanation as to why though. Only heard people front and quip about not wanting/needing it. I call delusion & lies - from an infant to an elder, man to woman, people appreciate attention on some variation/level/scale. OTOH, attention-seeking/needing to be the center of attention is a whole other issue, IMO. IDK, I'm still pondering it.
RE: Women playing the game of playing sexually repressed vs sexually expressive - Morals, Upbringing/Rearing, Society, etc. are in our panties & on our ovaries.