It is a known fact that women’s sports do not typically get the viewership and attention brought in by men’s sports. However, in the last two years, the popularity of women’s college basketball has skyrocketed.
Popularity was growing gradually until March Madness last year. Viewership for the 2023 tournament was record-setting for the women’s game. The first-round games were up 27% in viewership from 2022’s tournament.
The viewership spike came from the increase of NIL over that span of a year.
The NCAA has transformed across all sports since the explosion of NIL deals student athletes are receiving. NIL stands for name, image and likeness. The system serves as student athlete compensation, and while in some sports, the effect is harshly on recruiting aspects, it has contributed majorly to completely transforming women’s basketball.
NIL has paved the way for superstars to gain compensation for their fame, fandom and the money they bring in. Due to this, a select few women’s players have become household names, such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
“I think NIL is awesome,” said Drew Bogumill, a senior mass communication major. “College players that rise to a level of fame deserve payment.”
Perhaps the two biggest stars of the women’s game since Brittney Griner, Clark and Reese met in the national championship in the 2023 edition of the NCAA tournament.
The game finished 102-85, making it the highest scoring national championship in the history of the women’s game.
Clark, an Iowa guard, currently has an estimated net worth of $3 million. However, the real amount is suspected to be higher due to her skyrocketing popularity. She currently sits 75 points behind Pete Maravich, who holds the No. 1 spot on the all-time NCAA basketball scoring list.
Reese, an LSU forward, nicknamed the “Bayou Barbie,” also has a net worth perceived to be around $3 million.
“The star power competing in big games like this is changing the sport and bringing more money in,” said Jackson Kiser, a junior marketing major.
This year’s tournament will feature these stars as well as an incredible University of Southern California team headlined by emerging superstar JuJu Watkins.
Watkins scored 170 points in a five-game stretch this season. In doing so, she passed Clark, who scored 165 points in a five-game stretch, for the highest scoring five-game stretch by a freshman since the 1999-2000 season.
As long as stars like Clark and Reese can thrive in the sport, more and more players like Watkins will come along, and the game will continue to rise in popularity.
The 2024 women’s March Madness tournament will tip off next month, with the first-round games starting on March 20. The tournament will bring two weeks of exciting basketball, concluding with the Final Four and national championship game at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio.
