All Things Sports

Hi guys, welcome back to All Things Sports! On April 2nd, LSU defeated Iowa 102-85 in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship game. However, the headlines were all about Iowa. That is because of their star player, Caitlin Clark, who has become a household name over the last 2 weeks. At first, it was for her dominating performances including a 40 point triple double in the Elite Eight against Lousiville and  another 40 point performance against previously undefeated South Carolina in the Final Four. However, after the championship the headlines were dominated by the taunts of Angel Reese towards Clark after LSU defeated Iowa last Sunday. While that story could take on a post of its own, that is not what I am here to talk about today. Despite all the drama surrounding that incident, it, along with the headline performances of Clark, have brought a lot of attention to women’s basketball. That is what I am here to talk about today: the impact of Caitlin Clark and the NCAA tournament on women’s basketball. 

The effect can be felt in multiple ways, but the most obvious is attention. The drama and performances have brought a lot of attention and media coverage to women’s basketball as everyone was talking about Caitlin Clark and what happened in the National Championship game. Every single news outlet, not just sports ones, had something to say about it and this was a boon for women’s basketball. That is because the sport needs attention and interest to grow. What we have just seen is a massive surge in attention towards the sport itself. It is a massive opportunity that the sport needs to capitalize on. This interest isn’t just hypothetical either. According to Sports Illustrated, almost 10 million people were watching the National Championship game on ABC, nearly doubling the previous record of 5.5 million viewers. This was also very close to the viewership total of the men’s championship game which 14 million people watched live on television.It is clear that more and more people want to watch women’s basketball and this is something that organizations like the NCAA and the WNBA must capitalize on. Another statistic that highlights the growth in popularity is ticket sales. According to Sporting News, ticket prices for the Women’s Final Four were actually more expensive than the Men’s Final Four, and this was due in large part to the interest in star power that was present. The interest in Caitlin Clark of Iowa, Angel Reese of LSU, and Aliyah Boston of South Carolina was there and it was shown through the excessive demand for tickets. 

Looking ahead to next season Iowa had to pause season ticket sales for the 2023-2024 season because a record number of fans requested to be put on the season ticket list for next season. There was literally too much interest in women’s basketball and this situation was due in large part to the Caitlin Clark Effect. Her tournament run in which she set the record for most points scored captivated the world of sport and interest in women’s basketball has ballooned as seen by these stats. 

When looking at the situation, it is clear to see that the latest edition of the Women’s NCAA tournament has been a boon for women’s basketball. It has provided the sport with the interest needed to grow, something that the sport had previously struggled with. But what now? How does the sport capitalize on the boom in popularity? Well, as South Carolina Coach Dawn Staley argues,  it starts with TV deals and it starts with giving the women’s tournament its own TV deal. The rights to broadcast the women’s tournament have long been bundled with other sports as they are sold to media companies, but the time has come for that to change. There are many more things that can be done but this is where it all starts. This will be great for women’s basketball. This will be great for women’s sports. This will be great for all of us.