‘Everyone watches women’s sports’

Can this year’s NCAA March Madness be as transformative for women’s basketball as it was in 2024?

Reminiscing back to early April of last year; my Easter holiday abroad consisted of minimal sleep as my jet-lagged eyes were glued to the fluorescent screen of my computer.

There was no way I was going to miss the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, UConn vs USC game. The questionable internet connection of the Airbnb I was staying at did not deter me from refreshing the screen multiple times so I could keep up with every pass, shot, and rebound.

March Madness refers to the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletics Association) Division One basketball tournament. Played in seven rounds with single eliminations all to win the national championship, this is arguably the most anticipated sporting event in college sport in the USA.

As the name suggests, it is held annually from mid-March and follows a schedule involving 68 teams until the final championship game, typically held at the beginning of April.

With the men’s tournament being played from 1939, the women’s competition only debuted decades later in 1982. This is indicative of the many historical and existing disparities between sports and gender, particularly at collegiate levels. 

The term ‘March Madness’ was initially only used to refer to the men’s tournament. The NCAA didn’t explicitly apply the nickname to the women’s one until 2022. This alteration was part of a larger effort to address gender inequality and promote fairness in collegiate sports. 

All thanks to Title IX, a civil rights law that was enacted in 1972 which states that: “No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any educational program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.”

Despite the initiative, there is still a gap in the amount of media coverage and funding between the women’s and the men’s tournaments that needs to be bridged. 

But something interesting happened last year. For the first time in history, the women’s tournament generated more viewers than the men’s, with 18.9 million people watching the 2024 NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship game between Iowa and South Carolina on ABC and ESPN. 

Sportsnaut picked up on this: “Women’s college basketball is seeing a popularity boom across the country. Fox experienced a 48 per cent growth in TV ratings for women’s basketball this season, which is just part of the 60 per cent increase across major television networks during the 2023-’24 season.”

One year ago, Dawn Staley, the coach for USC’s women’s basketball team was seen donning a black T-shirt with the saying “EVERYONE WATCHES WOMENS SPORTS” in bold white ink as she stood court-side during a pregame interview against LSU.

The brand that coined the slogan, Togethxr, was founded by four Olympic female athletes Sue Bird, Alex Morgan, Simone Manuel, and Chloe Kim as a startup.

Since then, the demand for the T-shirt surged and Togethxr reported $3 million in apparel sales. Now many celebrities and devoted basketball fans are seen sporting the motto, like Jason Sudeikis and Chelsea Handler. Underscoring the growing and overwhelming support for women’s sports. 

As powerfully stated on the brand’s website: “After a record-breaking year in women’s sports, the numbers speak volumes, and now, so does your wardrobe. This tee is a statement of enthusiasm and support for the unstoppable rise of women’s sports. We’re here, we’re tuned in, and you can’t turn us down.”

What made last year so special? It would be unjust to not give credit to the boom in popularity to star players like Angel Reese, Paige Buckers, Juju Watkins, and of course Caitlin Clark. But these women have been driving viewership up for a couple of seasons now. 

The impact that player Caitlin Clark is said to have on women’s basketball’s popularity is known as the “Caitlin Clark effect.” Sharp shooting from the three-point line and facilitating smart plays as a guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes during her four years, Clark is widely considered a ‘generational talent.’ She became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, with 3,685 career points.

ESPN talks about Caitlin Clark’s impact on their ratings in 2023-2024: “She shined a spotlight on women’s basketball that was greater than any we’ve ever seen. A record 9.9 million viewers tuned in to watch LSU’s win over Iowa in the 2023 national championship game.”

Likewise “Iowa’s 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight averaged 12.3 million viewers, the most watched women’s college basketball game in history and one of the most-viewed games in any sport other than NFL football over the past year.”

Recently, after returning to Iowa to retire her #22 jersey, it’s undeniable that Caitlin Clark has become a household name when it comes to college basketball. Who went on to get drafted for the Indiana Fever during the WNBA draft in 2024 after being selected as the No.1 overall pick of that year.

As a basketball player for my university team, I model my own play on the court after Angel Reese. 

Nicknamed the ‘Bayou Barbie’ during her LSU days, where she won a National Championship in her junior year in 2023. Shortly after graduating, she went on to play for the WNBA team Chicago Sky, where she currently just finished her rookie year. 

Her infamous ‘rivalry’ with Caitlin Clark stems from that record-breaking LSU vs Iowa Championship game that ignited some controversy through media narratives.

Towards the closing moments of the game, the LSU Tigers were up in the 4th quarter, and Reese was seen returning the ‘you can’t see me’ gesture towards Clark.

Followed by pointing to her ring finger as a reminder of the championship ring LSU will get after their imminent victory. This exchange defined the intensity, competitiveness, and entertainment factor of women’s college basketball that year.

She started her 2025 being featured on the cover of Vogue’s winter issue. Photographed by Norman Jean Roy and wearing a ruby red Versace dress, posing for a story about the ever-growing intersection of sports and fashion. Alongside being invited to last year’s Met Gala, this achievement highlights Reese’s impact beyond the basketball court.

Her Instagram post was captioned: “COVERGIRL. IT’S ALWAYS BEEN BOTH: BASKETBALL AND FASHION.”

On top of that, Reese is about to make history as she secures a brand deal with MacDonalds for her very own meal deal coming out on February 10th being the first female athlete to do so.

I wanted to talk to other basketball enthusiasts in the UK and see how Women’s March Madness has impacted them.

Majo is a long-time player and a newfound devoted fan of NCAA Women’s Basketball. She recounts her deep-rooted love for the sport, “I started playing when I was nine.”

“I had been watching NBA games and NCAA men’s league for a few years now, I wasn’t really aware of the women’s league because of the lack of media representation and awareness. There wasn’t enough promotion about it.”

Her initial unfamiliarity is symbolic of some of the historical inequalities when it comes to women’s sports coverage on TV and social media when comparing it to men’s.

She followed with how she came about to be so involved in its rise to popularity, “Caitlin Clark became a media sensation for her incredible skills especially shooting three’s and all the way from the logo. This started to pop up on my Instagram and YouTube feed because she was a new discovery. That is how I started to engage with the women’s NCAA.”

Majo detailed how she became versed in the NCAA teams and players that inspire her as a fellow intramural athlete, “To prepare for the games, my basketball coach from uni two years ago, used to send us homework to watch UConn NCAA women’s games.

“To learn from the different players, he would always mention Paige Bueckers to me, because she’s a point guard like me. He wanted me to see her play a lot, this is also how I started engaging with this league.”

“They’re highlighting women’s basketball properly, and the conversation is just starting. The media is finally catching up. There’s more availability through Youtube and Instagram, especially being overseas when games are at 3:00 in the morning for my schedule.”

Majo’s experience as an international fan is reminiscent of my own. As well as our observations surrounding the establishment of women’s basketball in the mainstream media.

“The WNBA also deserves so much recognition, it still hasn’t gotten to that level. It’s just starting to get there.”

Majo

We talked about her predictions for this year’s March Madness as the preliminary process is just starting, “Paige Bueckers at UConn, it’s her last year at the NCAA so it’s her last chance to win it all. That is a big competitor.

“Last year they were in the Final Four against Iowa. The referee called a moving screen during the last play against UConn, they had one shot. It was such a decisive moment and it was such an upset for them. UConn didn’t make it to the championship final”

Majo describes her loyal support for the Iowa team as ‘Rooting for the underdog,’ underlining her excitement for the future of the team in this upcoming tournament.

“The culture of basketball has grown there so much, thanks to Caitlin Clark and their coach. So I would have a look-out for Iowa”

“I think UConn and USC will make it far, we’ll have to wait and see.”

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Featured image by John Mac via Wikimedia Commons CC