In a year where we saw records fall, drama build, dynasties grow, and stars shine, I’d argue that the biggest winner of them all is the sport of Women’s Basketball. For the first time in my recent memory, we saw the Women’s Final Four and NCAA Tournament take over social media, especially as the end of the tournament neared. Quotes were flying about the heightened interest in the outcomes of the women’s games compared to the men’s games.
The interest peaked with the Iowa-UConn game, where we saw two of the best in women’s sports history in Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark, battle for a spot in the National Championship game. Viewership averaged just above 14 million, and peaked at 17 million, making it the most-viewed women’s basketball game on record and the largest audience for an ESPN basketball broadcast. For reference, the 2023 Men’s National Championship between SDSU and UConn averaged 14.7 million. It is the second most non-football broadcast in the history of ESPN, trailing only the 2014 World Cup broadcast of USA vs Portugal. It was the second-most watched basketball broadcast of all time - any basketball, men’s or women’s, college or professional.
What started all of this interest: Caitlin Clark. In the 2023 Final Four, she dazzled crowds with her Steph Curry-like threes, her unapologetic trash talks, and her fiery personality. To keep the momentum going, her assault on the record books, her constant presence in the news cycle, and her newest recurring role on State Farm commercials made it hard for people to NOT pay attention to what she was doing.
Growing up a UConn fan, women’s sports was always something that was valued, the likes of Breanna Stewart, Stephanie Dolson, and Maya Moore were some of the most dominant basketball players, men or women, I ever watched. It is refreshing to see the rest of the world catch up. So to answer the title: what is the state of women’s college basketball?
The best it’s ever been.