Before April showers bring May flowers, March brings madness. In hopes of crafting the perfect bracket, most have their attention on men’s college basketball teams, while the women’s division flies under the radar breaking records in athleticism.
The Clark Effect
These feats of athleticism can be attributed to the reputation of legends like Caitlin Clark. Clark is a guard for Iowa’s team and currently holds the title for most career points in division history for both women and men.
Recently, she’s sold out the arena for every game she’s played. The stands are filled with fans including young boys and Travis Scott–vying for an autograph or photo. Her fandom has grown so much that she is now the most known college basketball player by a 2-1 margin, male or female (Ricciardelli, 2024).
This stardom is not only well deserved but necessary as women’s basketball works to cement its status as legitimate in the world of sports.
Penn State’s Lady Lions
Penn State’s women’s basketball team is also proving themselves on the court. Currently, the team is ranked 6th in the Big Ten, outpacing the men’s team which is currently ranked 11th.
Coming off of a win against Mississippi State, Shay Ciezki (point guard) gave VALLEY a peek into her experience as a member of the Lady Lions.
Playing post-season in the first-ever Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), Ciezki recognized how “The game is growing every day, the sky’s the limit.”
She expressed appreciation for her teammates and other women on the court, saying “I know how much each and every girl puts into this sport and how much love goes into the game.” This passion is clear from the stands, as Ciezki pointed out:
“I definitely feel and see support from peers in women’s basketball. The game is growing so much, and any time we as women can support one another we do that”
Shay Ciezki
Turns out, Penn State’s school spirit does extend past football. The passionate and talented members of the Lady Lions deserve the school’s support as they push the limits of Women’s Basketball and expand the horizon of opportunity for young women everywhere.
Women are in the Paint
In 1972, the Title IX act was passed, mandating equitable treatment of girls and women in educational institutions that receive federal funds (WSF, 2019). This made great strides for women in sports but did not automatically guarantee equality.
This is only the third year that women’s teams are allowed to participate in the March Madness tournament, but they’re already dominating. For the 2024 season, “Women’s games are averaging 981,000 viewers, compared with 946,000 for the men” (Manfre, 2024).
Unfortunately, the WNBA is not experiencing the same success. The WNBA has yet to turn a profit for a season since its inception, averaging $321,000 per season while the NBA averages $1.6 million (Armato, 2023). The player’s pay also suffers; WNBA players get 22 percent of the league’s revenue, while NBA players get 50 percent.
This disparity is partially due to the lack of viewership for the WNBA. Though some might attribute this fact to the women themselves for lacking the same athleticism as the men, their abilities are actually increasing with time. After a few recent rule changes, players have been beating their own records for scoring as well as increasing the average speed of the game.
Hopefully with the addition of these changes, and the addition of Clark, the WNBA can increase their viewership and thus their opportunities, to eventually match that of the NBA.
With the women of the WNBA and the NCAA working extremely hard to prove their place in their respective leagues, it’s important that basketball fans treat them with the same respect and attention that they give to their male counterparts.
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