women's basketball is changing, for the better
- kyliedeatherage
- Aug 7, 2024
- 3 min read
There is 1.1 seconds to go and while most people would think that the game is over, Cailtin Clark decided differently. Iowa was already in the lead over University of Connecticut with the score being 69-71.
Clark makes a brilliant play that will secure Iowa the win. The player bounces the basketball off her biggest opponent, Paige Bueckers, which allows Iowa to take possession of the ball. She passes the ball inbound and after the ball is thrown in the air by her teammate, the game finishes and Iowa will be going to the Final Four for the first time in 30 years.
Women’s basketball is changing, and it is primarily because of the incoming WNBA class. There is endless talent with this class and two of the most well-known players, Cailtin Clark and Paige Bueckers, have brought so much attention to the sport.
The game against Clark and Bueckers peaked at 17 million watchers and had an average of 14.2 million watchers according to Sports Business Journal. This game is now the most watched college women’s basketball game in history.
2021 BIG EAST Player of the Year, 2021 espnW Player and Freshman of the Year, 2022 NCAA Tournament Final Four All-Tournament Team, 2024 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year. These are just a few of the abundance of awards that the UCONN basketball player, Paige Bueckers, has acquired.
Not only was she the Number 1 recruit coming into college basketball, but she was given many awards in high school, too, such as being the 2019-20 Gatorade Female Athlete of the Year and 2020 McDonald’s, SLAM and Jordan Brand Classic All-American.
Not only does the guard keep up on the court, but also in the classroom. Recently, the redshirt junior graduated with a 3.497 GPA and a degree in human development and family sciences.
Unfortunately, she missed the 2023 season due to an ACL injury in fall of 2022, which left people skeptical if she would be able to be as good as she once was. However, with hard work and resilience, she is now one of the leading players in the game. Bueckers has one more year playing at UCONN and then will most likely head to the WNBA draft to join her previous teammates at UCONN and on the USA team such as Aliyah Edwards, Nika Mühl, and Caitlin Clark. She is also predicted to be the number 1 pick for the 2025 WNBA draft.
Caitlin Clark is somewhat of a household name today and anyone keeping up with basketball, especially women’s, has most likely heard of her. This past season, Clark was the number one leading scorer in all of college women’s basketball and averaged 31.6 points per game.
Some of Clark’s accomplishments while at the University of Iowa include being the first Iowa women’s player to be First Team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Tournament MVP for three seasons in a row, and she became the leading scorer in men’s and women’s college basketball during her 130th career game. Clark has impressed most of the country already, but her recent draft to the WNBA will provide even more opportunities.
After being the overall number 1 pick for the WNBA draft, she was selected by the Indiana Fever and her number 22 jersey is currently out of stock on most websites due to her recent popularity.
When the Indiana Fever announced that they chose Caitlin Clark, her newfound teammates were jumping for joy and even wore number 22 jerseys for her because of their excitement.
Not only were fans focused on the draft itself, but the players stepped out on the red carpet and made a great impression. Clark was in a full Prada outfit which makes that the first time that Prada had dressed any basketball player for the draft. Bueckers attended the draft to support her teammates and friends and was dressed in Louis Vuitton from head to toe.
While Clark and Bueckers are some of the biggest names in the game right now, there are so many other women’s players that are boosting and changing the game. Many of these players are very active on social media which is another reason why the game is gaining so much popularity. Most of the women’s players have gained a larger following on social media than the men’s players too. A few other players that have helped reshape the game are Kate Martin, Hailey Van Lith, Angel Reese, Aaliyah Edwards, and Cameron Brink.
This upcoming WNBA and college basketball season will be one to watch as the game is changing completely. Many people are focusing on the women’s side of the game instead of the men’s and the players are finally getting the recognition and support they deserve.
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