Rising Popularity: How NCAA Women’s Basketball Is Captivating Fans Nationwide
The rise of popularity with NCAA Women’s Basketball did not occur overnight but rather over time. Reverting back to 1996, the championship between Tennessee and Georgia was broadcast live on ESPN. This game accumulated around 3.515 million viewers. Yet, the ratings didn’t consistently increase over time. Going up to the year 2005, the championship game between Baylor versus MSU accumulated around 3.235 million viewers and was broadcast live on ESPN. A drastic change in views only happened in 2023 during the championship game, LSU versus Iowa, where 9.915 million people viewed the game, which was broadcast on ABC, ESPN2, and ESPNU. Continuing into 2024, 18.882 million viewers observed the championship game between South Carolina and Iowa, which had been broadcast on ABC and ESPN. With other television stations broadcasting and the rise in popularity of specific individuals, the viewership had increased.
Regarding the increase in viewership, two main individuals also increased the popularity of NCAA Women’s Basketball. They are Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. Clark played for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, and Reese played for the LSU Tigers. These two individuals began to become popular on mainstream social media, not only for their talent, but also for their rivalry. In the 2023 National Championship, the Tigers defeated the Hawkeyes, where the rivalry began. Popular videos surfaced regarding the two, and it was shown by the players' actions that there was and still is a competition between the two.
From Reese’s “you can’t see me” action, which was considered a taunt, to Clark's calm demeanor demonstrated the difference between the two. Clark has a personality that demonstrates calmness and grit, while Reese is a fiery spirit. This competition between the two continued into the WNBA, and it did not stop on the court. Yet, without the rising talents from Clark and Reese, and the addition of television broadcast stations, the NCAA Women’s College Basketball would not have reached the amount of views it did in 2024. Not only did the two ignite something in each other, but the media continues to fuel the fire by covering their interactions with each other, which ultimately increases the viewership.
