Women's basketball boomed with Caitlin Clark. And it isn't slowing down now | Opinion

It was never just about Caitlin Clark.

No doubt there are people who thought women’s basketball would fade back to niche sports status without Clark and the white-hot spotlight that follows her. That the boom of the last few years was solely from people who tuned in to watch Clark drain 3s from the logo and break records.

Tiger Woods aside, however, sports booms are rarely driven by only one athlete and the explosion of interest in women’s basketball is no different. The proof is in the numbers:

At least half a dozen games drew 1 million or more viewers this season, led by the 2.23 million who tuned in to watch JuJu Watkins vs. Paige Bueckers, err, USC vs. UConn, in December. That game was the second-most-watched women’s game ever on Fox. There were 15 games just on ESPN that drew 500,000-plus viewers.
ESPN’s ratings for women’s basketball were up 3% from last year – and a whopping 41% from two years ago.
Ratings for the ACC tournament were up 23% from last year, while the Big 12 saw a 126% increase for its tournament.
South Carolina, Iowa and UConn sold out their season tickets, with the Gamecocks and Hawkeyes ranking in the top 15 of all NCAA programs, men’s or women’s, in average attendance.
The average price for a 30-second spot in this year’s NCAA championship game has more than doubled from last year, going for almost $440,000, according to Sports Business Journal. Most ad spots for the entire tournament have sold out.

The tournament began Wednesday night with the First Four. First-round games begin Friday.

"Women’s sports are a thing now," said Jane McManus, author of "The Fast Track: Inside the Surging Business of Women’s Sports."

"There are hardcore football, baseball or (men’s) basketball fans who are always going to be antagonistic to women’s sports. For those who aren’t antagonistic, there’s a sense women’s sports are now in the pool of sports," McManus said. "That’s a real change. When you hit that generalized sports interest, more fans are going to encounter. It just becomes part of the sports landscape, and I think that’s what’s happening with women’s sports now.

"Once people hear about it, it’s hard to un-ring that bell."

Especially because the recent progress has led to foundational changes that will generate more growth.

For years, teams in the men’s tournament have earned "units” for every game they played, money that can eventually be put back into their programs. Last year, each unit was worth about $2 million.

Until this season, women’s teams didn’t get units because the NCAA said their tournament didn’t have a large enough unique revenue stream. (The men’s units are based on the monster media rights deal with CBS.) But the NCAA’s latest media rights deal with ESPN includes a specific valuation for the women’s basketball tournament, $65 million, paving the way for the women to finally get paid like the men do.

The fund is $15 million, so the payouts will be smaller initially. Still, it’s a start. Schools will be able to use that money for facilities, recruiting, coaches’ salaries — all things imperative to the continued growth of the game.

"It really gives the women a seat at the table,” said Atlantic 10 commissioner Bernadette McGlade, who was on the women’s basketball committee when it first requested units a quarter-century ago.

And it won’t just be that money that schools will have to invest. There are corporate partners and prospective sponsors who now direct their money specifically to women’s sports, because they recognize the return on investment is higher.

"Money does talk, and it opens doors. It elevates respect," McGlade said. "I think that women’s sports have turned the corner. Absolutely. And I don’t think there’s any downturn that’s going to happen.”

It doesn’t hurt that the women’s game went right from Clark and Angel Reese to Watkins and Bueckers. The two are commercial stars with solid name recognition — something that can’t be said about many in the men’s tournament beyond Cooper Flagg.

That’s another area that will ensure the women’s game continues to grow. Unlike the men, who can, and often do, leave college after a year, women have to be at least 22 years old and have either exhausted their eligibility, graduated or be four years removed from high school to enter the WNBA draft. That means the public has the time to get to know these players and become invested in them.

Bueckers played in three Final Fours in her first four years at UConn (she missed the 2022-23 season with a torn ACL) and won her first ESPY after her freshman season. Watkins is only a sophomore, and already fans show up to her road games wearing her jersey and sporting her signature "JuJu Bun."

"That's a really neat thing. I think it has cultural significance,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.

"Caitlin Clark wasn't the first great player, and she wasn't the first incredible personality. But she was the first one that got that kind of coverage and galvanized things in a really significant way," Gottlieb said. "So I do think … to roll right into the players that are in our game now, Juju and the other big stars, the synergy of that has worked well to not have there be a letdown.”

The interest in women's basketball might not be at the heights it was under Clark. But it continues to grow. There's no going back now.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NCAA women's basketball continues to show gains post-Caitlin Clark

Topics

Betting on women's college basketball rides post-Caitlin Clark wave as NCAA Tournament begins

Caitlin Clark drew lots of eyeballs to women’s basketball when she led Iowa to consecutive national-championship games
ABC News - 3d
Can March Madness Still Soar Without Caitlin Clark?

Women’s basketball is as hot as ever and includes stars in every corner of America. But it will be “nearly impossible” to replicate Clark’s effect.
The New York Times - 2d
Women's March Madness by the numbers: Watkins ahead of Clark's 2-year point total. Now it gets tough

When Caitlin Clark set the NCAA's career scoring record last season, JuJu Watkins was widely considered the player most likely to challenge it. The two-time Associated Press All-American has ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
The Rise of Women’s Basketball

Caitlin Clark helped push the sport to new highs. She didn’t do it alone.
The New York Times - 4d
Strong TV ratings and attendance, women's basketball in good place heading to NCAA Tournament

There was concern that attendance and overall interest in women’s college basketball would drop this year with the departure of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars for the WNBA
ABC News - 3d
Strong TV ratings and attendance, women's basketball in good place heading to NCAA Tournament

There was concern that attendance and overall interest in women’s college basketball would drop this year with the departure of Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and other stars for the WNBA
ABC News - 3d
March Madness: How to watch the women's NCAA Tournament and what to watch for

Women’s basketball has not slowed down at all this season as March Madness arrives
ABC News - 3d
Mizzou isn't planning to slow down

The Drake Bulldogs are the slowest-moving team in college basketball and the Missouri Tigers like to play fast. The No. 6-seeded Tigers aren’t planning to slow down. “The pace they try to play ...
Yahoo Sports - 4h
Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark again dominate WNBA national TV schedule

The Fever, led by Caitlin Clark, will have 41 of their 44 games on national television. The Aces and Liberty also have plenty of appearances.
Yahoo Sports - 2h
16 Quotes From Basketball Legends to Inspire Your Leadership Success

From Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan, these stars know what it takes to win.
Inc. - 12h
March Madness: How to watch the women's NCAA Tournament and what to watch for

Women's basketball has not slowed down at all this season as March Madness arrives. A year ago, the women’s NCAA championship game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for ...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
4 Des Moines schools are getting new outdoor athletic courts — thanks to Caitlin Clark

Several new multipurpose recreation courts are coming to Des Moines Public Schools due to a contribution from Caitlin Clark and her foundation.
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Jimmies women's hoops loses 93-62 to Georgetown in NAIA tourney

Mar. 14—GREAT FALLS, Mont. — The No. 13-seeded University of Jamestown women's basketball struggled to slow down a potent Georgetown University (Kentucky) offense and it cost them in a 93-62 loss ...
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Dallas Wings will play game against Caitlin Clark and Indiana Fever at home of NBA's Mavericks

The Dallas Wings, who have the No. 1 overall pick in next month's WNBA draft, will play their June 27 game against 2024 top pick Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever at the home of the NBA's Dallas ...
Yahoo Sports - 1d
CBS to show 2 primetime matchups between Caitlin Clark and Indiana vs Angel Reese and Chicago

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese will have two of their games broadcast in primetime nationally for the first time in league history. The June 7 and Aug. 9 games between the Indiana Fever and Chicago ...
Yahoo Sports - 3h
Caitlin Clark, Fever highlight ABC's growing WNBA broadcast schedule

Twenty of the 23 games that eclipsed 1 million views last season involved Clark and the Fever.
Yahoo Sports - 3h
Los Angeles Has Plenty of Stars. But This Is JuJu Watkins’s Moment.

When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese now in the W.N.B.A. and Paige Bueckers headed there soon, the spotlight belongs to the U.S.C. sophomore.
The New York Times - 5h
American Eagle says consumer is slowing down, issues weak guidance

American Eagle warned that consumers are slowing down as recession fears swirl.
CNBC - Mar. 12
Former betting boss says online slot machines need to be slowed down

Stewart Kenny thinks plans to limit stakes for online slots don’t go far enough and games must be slowed down.
BBC News - 3d
Women’s Basketball Is Increasingly Popular. Why Is It So Hard to Bet On?

The March Madness gambling boom masks regular-season inequities, a columnist for The Athletic writes.
The New York Times - 2d
Warrior women's hoops team advances in NAIA Tournament

Mar. 15—Minutes after beating 11th-seeded Columbia (Mo.) in the first round of the women's basketball NAIA Tournament, the live stream captured the sixth-seeded Lewis-Clark State Warriors gathered ...
Yahoo Sports - 5d
Music industry revenues slow as pandemic-era CD boom fades

Lockdown revival in physical music goes into reverse, as sector grapples with AI threat
Financial Times - 1d
Breaking down the UConn women’s basketball team’s bracket, Final Four path in 2025 NCAA Tournament

STORRS — After cruising to a fifth consecutive Big East Tournament title, UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma would rather have turned around right away to start playing the NCAA ...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Breaking down each team in K-State women's basketball's NCAA Tournament pod

For the second straight season and fifth under head coach Jeff Mittie, Kansas State women's basketball is back in the NCAA Tournament. Under Mittie, the Wildcats have never advanced past the ...
Yahoo Sports - 4h
Sacchi: Only the Champions League can ‘slow Inter down’ in Serie A title race

Arrigo Sacchi believes Inter deserved to beat Atalanta and feels that only the Champions League can ‘slow down’ their race for the Serie A title.The defending champions beat Atalanta 2-0 on Sunday...
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Duke women’s basketball to face Lehigh to open March Madness in 2025 NCAA Tournament

Duke women's basketball just won its first ACC tournament championship in 12 years, and now the Blue Devils head into March Madness as a No. 2 seed.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
When does Notre Dame women's basketball begin play in first round of NCAA tournament?

Notre Dame women's basketball knew it would open the 2025 tournament at ome. We now have opponent, tip times and TV information
Yahoo Sports - 3d
NCAA women's basketball tournament bracket breakdown, best games, players to watch

UCLA, South Carolina, Texas and USC earned No. 1 seeds for the 2025 women's NCAA Tournament. Breaking down the regions and players to watch.
Yahoo Sports - 3d
Nixa basketball won't back down from a fight. Now, it's in a Class 6 state semifinal.

Nixa might not have the biggest basketball team, but it has an athletic and hard-working team that has earned its way into a state semifinal.
Yahoo Sports - 5d
2025 WNBA schedule: CBS to broadcast 20 games, including seven featuring Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever

CBS' coverage will begin with the defending champion New York Liberty vs. Indiana Fever on May 24
CBS Sports - 3h
Social media reacts to Georgia basketball's brutally slow start vs Gonzaga in March Madness

Georgia basketball was not good early in the first half against Gonzaga on Thursday, to say the least. Here's how social media reacted to the slow start:
Yahoo Sports - 1h
William & Mary women capture school's first NCAA Tournament berth in men's or women's basketball

It's fair to assume King William III and Queen Mary II never filled out a bracket. Now basketball players at William & Mary are finally part of the big one. William & Mary — established by royal ...
Yahoo Sports - 4d
Trump Promised Americans Booming Wealth. Now He’s Changing His Tune.

President Trump’s sweeping promises are running headlong into the reality of governing.
The New York Times - Mar. 11
Breaking down Nebraska's first-round NCAA Tournament opponent, the Louisville Cardinals

The Nebraska women's basketball team will make their third NCAA Tournament appearance in the past four seasons when they face the Louisville Cardinals
Yahoo Sports - 1d
Airline CEOs warn domestic travel demand is slowing

Airline CEOs say economic uncertainty and a drop in government travel is driving down domestic travel demand.
CNBC - Mar. 11
Longhorns women's basketball trio earns All-American Honors

Longhorns women's basketball had a reason to celebrate on Wednesday
Yahoo Sports - 4h
Gene Hackman’s final days marked by isolation: ‘Slowing down and reclusive’

The actor was likely alone in his house for days, disoriented and too frail to seek help, after death of wife Betsy Arakawa. The actor Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy Arakawa, who were found dead ...
The Guardian - Mar. 9
Aging Women’s Brain Mysteries Are Tested in Trio of Studies

Researchers identified a gene that seems to help slow brain aging in women, and studied links between hormone therapy, menopause and Alzheimer’s.
The New York Times - Mar. 12
LSU women's basketball star Aneesah Morrow named Player of the Year semifinalist

LSU women's basketball star Aneesah Morrow was named a semifinalist for women's college basketball's highest award
Yahoo Sports - 6d