The rise of women’s college basketball

Learn about the rise of women’s college basketball and hear from current players and fans about their views on the game

Photo by Cliff Jette

Shadi Karimifard, Staff Writer & Aryan Shetty, Staff Writer

According to ESPN Press Room, this year’s National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s March Madness averaged 2.2 million viewers on ESPN, with views up 121% from the 2023 tournament. Additionally, Women’s College Basketball has exploded in popularity this year, and with strong players like Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa (UI), it is a must for sports fans to keep up with the games.

 This increased popularity of Women’s College Basketball has inspired the next generation of players to further their passions in the game. For example, due to her breakout freshman year at the University of Connecticut (UConn), Paige Beckers rose to fame in the past two years and has motivated players across the nation to improve their individual performances. Northview Girls’ Varsity Basketball’s shooting guard and forward, Kelly Reynolds, emphasizes how Beckers has influenced her own game.

“Her pull-up game is really good, and that's something I want to include more in my game,” Reynolds said.

In addition to finding representation while watching women’s sports, up-and-coming players also find inspiration to pursue their post-high school dreams of playing Division I (D1) basketball and potentially as part of the WNBA. Angel Reese, a forward from Louisiana State University (LSU), is a player many younger women look up to because of her electric personality on and off the court. In the 2023 championship game, she famously imitated Caitlin Clark's celebration to her face as her team was leading late in the fourth quarter.

“I like Angel Reese because she’s so confident in herself,” Claire McLaughlin, Northview Girls’ Varsity Basketball’s forward and center, said. “She’s a good role model because she's always spreading positivity.”

Although there are 30 NBA teams, a mere 12 teams comprise the WNBA. With this lack of saturation, players like Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Paige Beckers, and colleges like UI, LSU, and UConn have risen to popularity. As a result of this new popularity, broadcasting increased and the WNBA now has a larger presence on social media through the players’ and teams' social media accounts. 

“I started [watching women’s college basketball] this year because of how advertised the game is now and I enjoyed seeing the intensity of the game,” Sophia Hernandez, former varsity basketball player, said. 

There is no doubt, that with women’s college basketball paving the way, women’s athletics will continue to grow and compete for viewership against men’s sports.

“Women’s college basketball is empowering women,” Hernandez said. “It is a growing sport showing that girls can play just as big of a role in sports [as men] on TV.”