Like a Girl: Women’s Basketball Making History

Image c/o Corey Sipkin for the NY POST

By Isabella Wynn
Visiting Reporter

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Women’s basketball has had an intense growing and record-breaking year for the 2023/2024 season. Women’s sports have been consistently neglected given they are not as popularly followed compared to men's sports. Whether we are looking at professional sports, college, or even high school level, boys and mens sports have a cult following. However, that all appears to be changing.

In this past year, the WNBA has gained traction due to exciting games and popular shooters like Sabrina Ionescu, all-time NCAA leader, two-time WNBA All-Star 3-point contest champ, and guard on New York Liberty. Born and raised in Walnut Creek, Sabrina attended Miramonte High School and afterwards went on to play for the University of Oregon. This past February, she faced off against Stephan Curry in a special NBA All-Star 3-Point contest, falling short only 3 points and tying the winner of the 3-point contest, Damien Lillard. While Sabrina was not able to take home the win against Curry, this contest represented great strides for women’s sports. We are experiencing a cultural shift in the world of women's sports. Women’s basketball has gained not only more respect, but more viewers. 

Speaking of viewers, this year's NCAA women’s basketball final game made history as the first ever women’s final game to have a larger viewing audience than the mens. The final game “in which the Iowa Hawkeyes and record-breaking star Caitlin Clark took on, and lost to, No. 1-seeded South Carolina drew more than 18.9 million views” (NBC). In comparison, the NCAA men’s final game drew in 14.8 million viewers. The growth in viewership for the women's team was exponential, jumping from 9.9 million last year, to the whopping 18.9 million this year. 

Reporters are stating that you just can’t ignore women's basketball anymore. They’re calling this shift the Caitlin Clark effect. The growing popularity of women’s basketball is undeniable. Viewership is skyrocketing while players are landing huge sponsorship deals. Players such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese have become household names in a way that is not something that is currently happening in men's NCAA. 

Caitlin Clark is arguably one of the best women’s college basketball players we have seen in generations. Not only that, but reporters also state that she is one of the biggest collegiate stars, period, seen in years. 

As of April 15th, Caitlin Clark was selected by the Indiana Fever as the number one pick in the WNBA 2024 Draft. Finishing off her NCAA career as the all-time leader in points, assists, and 3-pointers, she is also the first player in D1 history (men’s or women’s) with 3,000 points, 750 rebounds, and 750 assists. Former collegiate star, Caitlin Clark, entering the professional world should ensure another exciting season for the WNBA. This growing popularity for women’s basketball represents great strides for women in sports. This is an important and exciting cultural shift. Players like Caitlin Clark are showing the world what women can do. Keep an eye out for next season to watch these players play like a girl. 

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