An important trend has become apparent both across the country and in LM over the past month: the significant increase of women’s basketball viewership, specifically in college. Long been viewed as “secondary” to the men’s March Madness tournament, NCAA women’s basketball has taken a significant step into the spotlight, highlighting the incredible talent present at the collegiate level. Superstars like Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Angel Reese have drawn increased attention to the women’s tournament, both in LM and across the country. For the first time in history, the women’s championship game, in which the SC Gamecocks defeated the Iowa Hawkeyes, garnered more viewers than the men’s championship—and it wasn’t even close. The women’s clash ultimately drew about 18.9 million viewers, over four million more than the men’s NCAA championship. This game had the highest average viewership out of any basketball game both, men’s or women’s, college or professional, since 2019. Such
unprecedented popularity is the result of a trend that began several years ago after decades of stagnant viewership. In 2022, the women’s championship attracted nearly five million viewers on average, followed by a then-record average of 9.9 million viewers in 2023.
As the viewership has nearly doubled over the past year, it is only appropriate that LM has taken a significant interest in the sport. When asked about the recent rise in viewership, Zach Levin ’26 said, “I think it’s wonderful that women’s sports are finally getting the recognition they deserve. It’s been a long time coming that people watch the stellar basketball that these young women have displayed over the past few years.” Levin expressed that he watched “more women’s games” than the men’s tournament for the first time. This growth in viewership is mirrored amongst the LM teachers, too. Academic Seminar teacher Pamela Canady shared that she watched more women’s basketball this year than ever before, explaining “how amazing it’s been seeing what Dawn Staley has been able to do with this group of students.” Staley, the head coach of South Carolina, led her team to a national championship that sent reverberations across LM. However, her championship opponent, Iowa University, arguably had the biggest impact on the record viewership and increased engagement.
Star point guard Caitlin Clark put up record numbers in her NCAA career, posting the highest number of three-pointers made by any collegiate athlete in history, along with many other near- impossible feats. The now-WNBA Indiana Fever star and her talent has and likely will continue to boost the viewership of women’s basketball. When asked about Clark’s impact on the sport, Tori Locascio ’26 commented, “I definitely think that Clark has attracted more viewers due to her talent” and added that “the overall attention has been growing over the years but recently spiked after Reese and Clark gained the attention they deserve.”
Of course, Clark is not the sole reason for the recent increase in ratings; players like LSU’s (now Chicago Sky’s) Angel Reese and USC’s JuJu Watkins have inspired basketball fans and players across the country. At LM, these players have even motivated our own basketball teams to perfect their craft; LM power forward Aliyah Alwyn ’26 shared how “Reese has really inspired me to be strong in my position and play with confidence.” Clearly, the recent spike in viewership is more than just a statistic; it is boosting the morale of members of our community.
In a world where women’s sports are often ignored in favor of men’s sports, the outpour of recognition that women’s leagues are receiving is being welcomed. We can only hope that this trend continues as time passes and helps to motivate our own LM community to follow in their footsteps and break any boundaries set upon us.
