The NCAA Women’s Tournament is living up to the hype. Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Flau’jae Johnson, JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers are leading women’s basketball into the future.
No Joke: Games to Watch April 1
It may be April Fool’s Day but the two NCAA Women’s basketball games scheduled today are no joke. The teams facing off tonight are well-coached and feature some of college basketball’s most prominent players.
Interest in Women’s basketball —and Women’s sports in general— has been soaring over the past few years. The second round of the Women’s tournament saw a 121% increase over last year, according to Sports Business Journal. It seems certain that tonight’s double header of Iowa vs LSU followed by UConn vs USC will smash viewership records and be a hot topic of “water cooler” conversation tomorrow.
Image: Tom Pennington via Getty Images/AP
Will history repeat itself?
The highly-anticipated rematch of last year’s national championship game will again feature Iowa’s Caitlin Clark as well as LSU superstars Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson. There’s likely to be no shortage of trash talk as these women take the court, but it’s all grounded in a respect for one another.
UConn’s Paige Bueckers and USC freshman JuJu Watkins headline the second game. Both women —along with Clark and Stanford’s Cameron Brink— are finalists for the 2024 Naismith Trophy for most outstanding player. Both Bueckers (2021) and Clark (2023) are previous Naismith Trophy winners.
History in the making
While their basketball skills will be on full display tonight, these women are also leaders off the court. Clark, Reese, and Johnson are currently among the top 20 college athletes (men or women) in NIL valuation, according to On3.
Clark’s record-setting season has led to recent sponsorship deals with Panini and Xfinity, among others. She sits behind only Bronny James in terms of NIL valuations for college basketball players. Interestingly, as recently as late February, Angel Reese enjoyed the second-highest NIL valuation among basketball players.
With 5.3 million followers, Reese is among the most-followed college athletes on social media. Johnson (3.2M), Bueckers (1.6M), and Clark (1.5M) also have over one million followers, as do some of their teammates. It’s no surprise, therefore, that brands are rushing to sign endorsement deals with these athletes.
They are the future
Despite the drama and hype surrounding tonight’s games, the winners will still need to win two additional games to be crowned national champion. Regardless of the outcome, however, it is clear that these women are the future of women’s basketball.
It’s expected that Caitlin Clark will be the first pick in the WNBA draft. UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards and Angel Reese are both expected to be picked in the top 10, according to several mock drafts.
While the WNBA is poised to benefit from this influx of talent and star power, next year’s NCAA tournament will remain must-watch television. Paige Bueckers recently announced she will be returning to UConn next season, potentially setting the stage for another showdown with JuJu Watkins in 2025.
Despite Caitlin Clark setting countless records this season, Watkins is already emerging as the next big thing. Although she recently signed endorsement deals with Instagram, Estee Lauder and Spotify, she currently trails several other players in terms of NIL valuation. It would come as no surprise if her valuation on and off the court raises substantially as the tournament progresses.
Image: Jayne Kamin-Oncea via Getty Images
One night, two games, unlimited potential
Brands looking to capitalize on the emerging popularity of women’s basketball should pay close attention to tonight’s games. They feature several players who are leading the way in college sports today, and who will be among the top professional female athletes for years to come.
Post Script: As expected, the LSU vs Iowa game CRUSHED viewership records. According to Front Office Sports, the game averaged 12.3M viewers (last year’s title game was 9.9), making it the most-watched college basketball game -men’s or women’s- on ESPN ever. For perspective, the game had more viewers than every MLB, NHL, and MLS game last season!
The Final 4 matchup of University of Iowa and University of Connecticut promises to be another compelling game, with a potential showdown against unbeaten University of South Carolina.
Why does this matter? Forward-thinking brands are inking #NIL deals with these superstar athletes. For example, while terms of Statefarm Insurance’s deal with #CaitlinClark have not been disclosed, it’s a safe bet that the investment is paying off!