As someone who has never played basketball in their life, and has no athletic bone in their body, I am obsessed with women’s basketball. Watching basketball makes me wish I was 6ft tall when I am, unfortunately, 5’2 ft. Following the frenzy around Caitlin Clark’s amazing run last season, I quickly became infatuated with the college basketball teams and watched the Final Four games. With the Final Four game between Iowa State and UConn, the game averaged 14.2 million viewers when it aired on ESPN. It was the most viewed women’s basketball game in ESPN history. I would love to see that much attention and interest continue to grow within this upcoming basketball season.
How it works:
The basketball season consists of the NCAA Division I Women’s College Basketball tournament which is one giant competition starting with 68 teams, where one team will be the overall winner. Out of these 68 teams within the Division 1 category, 32 will qualify for a bid to play in the tournament. The other 36 teams are selected by a selection committee. Throughout the games within the tournament, the winners continuously move up through ranking and play a more competitive team each time. The rounds that get the most intense are the Lead Eight, which are the final eight teams left, and the Final Four. The Final Four is the most anticipated, because if they lose within one of the four games, they are officially out of the tournament, and no longer have a chance of winning. The team that wins out of the four is the overall champion, and the best team throughout the entire College Basketball season.
Why Basketball:
Although there are many different sports in college to root for and be fans of, basketball is my personal favorite. The fast-paced, adrenaline-pumping atmosphere of the game always has me on the edge of my seat. The game often gets aggressive, with players yelling at each other, fighting, and even sometimes coaches of the teams getting mad at each other. The more aggressive the game, the more interesting, and intense it is, in my opinion. I also like how many points a team can make, unlike soccer, when a game can average 5-10 goals, basketball averages scores up to 70-80. Altogether, this means that every time your team scores, you can feel that excitement and happiness for your team consistently throughout watching. My favorite part is there are only five players at a time on the court; which makes you able to learn the players that are mostly on the court easier, and be familiar with how the different teams play.
Past histories:
The teams who make it to the end of the tournament, often have long histories. Take the University of Connecticut (my favorite team), they have won numerous times throughout the tournament’s history, constantly producing the number one or two draft picks for the WNBA. This means their players are really, really, good. Unfortunately, ever since 2017, although UConn has always made it into the Final Four, they have not won a championship since. This year, however, I have hope that they can win the championship with their lead player, Paige Bueckers. Another example is South Carolina University and its constant amazing performances. They won the championship last season, where they remained undefeated the entire tournament, which is an extremely impressive feat. I am anticipating seeing whether they can hold that record again this season.
College women’s basketball also gives us a chance to root for people our age, in college. Thinking that a person my age is playing an elite sport on ESPN is a wild concept to think of, and on top of that, they are balancing their college coursework as well, which is very impressive. If you want to be even more involved, you can attend the games in person, and unlike other sports, basketball is held inside (with air conditioning).
Overall, the most important reason is supporting women’s sports. Watching the game on television, attending games, buying merchandise, etc. are all ways that women’s basketball will gain attention and support. They are constantly overshadowed by men’s basketball when they are just as equally (or even better) than them. It is finally time for women to be taken seriously as athletes, and to show that we are supporting and rooting for them.