The biggest college basketball tournament, March Madness, was jam-packed with intense basketball, and the enthralling events that followed afterward. With big names and plays that had millions of eyes glued to the screen, it was especially interesting for the world of women’s basketball.
Starting with Elite Eight, the hot games this round were LSU vs. Iowa and UConn vs. USC. The Iowa and LSU game was a rematch of the 2023 tournament when LSU beat Iowa 102-85 in the final. LSU was looking for a repeat, and Iowa was looking for the championship win they lost to the Tigers. With many big names in college basketball this year, this game was deemed Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese. The teams faced off on April 1st, and Iowa came out on top 94-87, advancing to the final four.
UConn and USC had people watching big names like freshman JuJu Watkins and senior Page Bueckers. Media portrayed the game as a competition between the two, but UConn head coach Geno Auriemma was quick to say, “It’s USC vs. UConn…not Paige vs. JuJu.” JuJu Watkins had her star moment when she broke the women’s D1 single-season freshman scoring record at this game, but overall, UConn conquered the Trojans and beat them 80-73. Uconn advanced to the final four, with the next big game being Iowa vs. UConn, another superstar matchup of Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers.
Records were broken, set, broken, and set again this year in terms of viewership. Last year, the women’s March Madness final, LSU vs. Iowa, peaked at 9.9 million viewers. This year, viewership in women’s basketball surpassed previous numbers, and their rematch gained even more traction at 12.3 million viewers. However, that was just an Elite Eight game. The Final Four game, UConn against Iowa, averaged 14.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game, according to ESPN.
After Iowa’s close win against UConn 71-69, and South Carolina’s 78-59 victory over NC State, the finals were set. The viewership in previous games had everyone in shock, but for this one, an average of 18.7 million viewers was the magic number that broke all of the records set only days before. Caitlin Clark was looking for a title before entering the draft, and Kamilla Cardoso was looking for her second. South Carolina beat the Hawkeyes 87-75, securing the championship win.
The big question was, who was entering the draft, and who was staying for another year? Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, seniors had another year of eligibility, so it was up in the air. Players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso declared for the draft, and other seniors like Paige Beukers stayed one more year.
Following the buzz around players who entered the 2024 WNBA draft, April 15th was hyped up for almost every sports fan. At a record-breaking average of 2.45 million, and peak of 3.09 million viewers, another television record was broken for the WNBA draft. This year’s draft was the highest watched since 2004, at a peak of 601,000, when Diana Taurasi, a player for Pheonix Mercury, was in the draft.
This year’s first-round draft picks are as follows: no. 1 Caitlin Clark for Indiana Fever, no. 2 Cameron Brink for Los Angeles Sparks, no. 3 Kamilla Cardoso for Chicago Sky, no. 4 Rickea Jackson for Los Angeles Sparks, no.5 Jacy Sheldon for Dallas Wings, no.6 Aaliyah Edwards for Washington Mystics, no.7 Angel Reese for Chicago Sky, no. 8 Alissa Pili for Minnesota Lynx, no. 9 Carla Leiti for Dallas Wings, no. 10 Leila Lacan for Connecticut Sun, no. 11 Marquesha Davis for New York Liberty, and no. 12 Nyadiew Puoch for Atlanta Dream.
May 14th is the official start of the WNBA season, and tickets are selling like never before. Before the draft even started, tickets were already selling at high prices, especially for Indiana Fever, and the games scheduled against them, because they had the number one draft pick, and Caitlin Clark was the prospective top pick. Teams have had to move their game against Indiana to a different venue because of the high demand.
Despite their unparalleled record-breaking successes, women’s basketball still isn’t at the standard of men’s, especially compared to the NBA. It was revealed that the first, second, third, and fourth draft picks will have a starting salary of $76,535, which is approximately $338,000 throughout their four-year contract. In the NBA, the top draft picks make around 10 million in the first year alone.
However, this is just the start for this new generation, and these women aren’t going anywhere, which means ticket and merch sales, and viewership will only get bigger, rewriting the standard for the WNBA. So far, Caitlin Clark is nearing an eight-figure deal with Nike, that would also get her a signature shoe. Pheonix Mercury is also the first WNBA team to have an alternate court, matching their alternate jerseys, that will be used throughout the regular season, something that is mundane, and expected in the NBA. Season ticket memberships have also sold out for the first time for teams like the Atlanta Dream, Las Vegas Aces, and Dallas Wings.
It’s about time for women to be recognized in the sports world, especially basketball. The 2024 draft class is different, and they’re going to change the world of basketball. In fact, they already have!
