caitlin clarke and angel wreath both are leaving WNBABut that doesn't mean women's college basketball will lose popularity.
The “Clark Effect” was in full effect last season, as she turned casual viewers into rabid fans, filling nearly every arena she visited and making the national title game the most-watched women's college basketball game in history. He contributed to the contest. The number of spectators for this match was approximately 19 million, approximately 4 million more than the number of spectators for the men's title match.
Women's Basketball Transfer Portal Tracker
Now that she and the game's biggest stars are playing professionally, here are some ways women's college basketball can maintain and even escalate its momentum after a historic season.
tv time slot
Men's basketball is often given the best time slots on television, both during and during the season. NCAA tournament. But to keep up with the growing interest in women's basketball, TV partners should consider moving important games to prime-time spots.
Last season, with Clark iowa Some beneficiaries of these national television time slots are nationally ranked programs as well. Indiana upon Fox for thanksgiving day tennessee As part of a triple header with NFL and men's college basketball.
There should be additional slots on FOX this season. big ten network Other networks open for schools such as University of Southern California, university university, south carolina and texas – It also helps promote multiple players with star power this season.
“We keep these young women on TV in major time slots on major networks,'' USC coach Lindsey Gottlieb He told On3. “Caitlyn is phenomenal, isn't she? She has this unique and captivating quality. Steph [Curry] Yes…but she's not the first or only exciting player. We've had them for years, and to say now, OK, this is a newly discovered set of attention, let's continue to put marketing dollars and good time frames into them. If we keep giving women's basketball a chance, it's going to be great. ”
There are a select few journalists hired solely to cover domestic women's basketball. Although the landscape has gotten even better thanks to former and current basketball players like andraya carter and Aaliyah Boston Stepping into a media role, there is room for improvement.
The game would benefit from more rigorous analysis and feature coverage of players beyond the nation's most elite players.
“This game is worth reporting on,” said Gottlieb, who coached the freshman star. juju watkins Last season. “More news organizations should pay more money to writers who specialize in women's basketball. They should invest in it, for sure. But by doing that, I think people like star power. , and JuJu understands that. So I hope it's not just her, but you know for sure, she's going to stand out among a really talented group. ”
It's not that the product itself is lacking, but the media needs to continue to do its part to capture the attention of casual fans and keep them coming back.
“I think we have to keep putting out great products that are successful and winning.” maryland coach Brenda Frese Said. “People want to see winners, so we have to keep up the content, the number of matches that are out there, the exposure. Educating people about the different faces that are coming into the game right now. I think it's just an expansion that you have to keep getting.”
Accessibility and visibility
Throughout the regular season, streaming options can become expensive even for some of the top teams in the country.of big east still hiring flow hoop For most of the season, the team villanova, clayton FloHoops costs $30 a month, making it even more difficult for non-local fans to watch, even at UConn.
The same goes for the Thanksgiving hoops event, one of the most high-level matchups of the season. No. 8 UConn vs. No. 3 University of California Los Angeles It streamed exclusively on FloHoops this November. Sports are hampered if fans can't watch games.
“It would be nice if they could change stations and stop watching cornhole and that kind of game and watch women's basketball instead.” syracuse coach Felisha Leggett Jack Said. “Free TV is what they need to continue to do. ESPN And FOX did some fun things. That creates interest. That way, if people fall in love with women's basketball, they'll be willing to pay for it. ”
Pac-12 Network This conference used to be another barrier to accessibility, as it was one of the best in the country. Stars like Watkins Cameron Brink and Lauren Betts Often hidden behind paywalls.Now, U.S.C. big ten And most of the other Pac-12 schools will be in a league with better television packages.
Cheaper and more accessible options would help the sport in the future.
star power
This game isn't lacking in star power, but it needs to keep promoting its stars to maintain momentum. Fortunately, the country is full of young talent who are sure to get noticed.
“We have great young stars. I think people are now waking up to our game and how great it is. I'm sure people will fall in love with more than just one. right.” Ohio coach kevin mcguff Said.
With Mr. Watkins, notre dame cathedral Hannah Hidalgo and iowa state audi scammer They will gain even more attention after a phenomenal freshman season. I hope that the coverage will center around a larger group of elite athletes and celebrities, rather than a lot of national media focusing on just one player like they did before the season.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement with the new conference alignment.” Tara Vanderveerformer stanford said the coach and the winningest college basketball coach of all time. “There's going to be a lot of freshness in the story because different teams get to know different competitions…I think it's just getting more viewers and building and growing the game. It's about writing about great stories – people are interested in stories.