Women's Basketball Growth Helped by Star Players, More Media Coverage

 Women's basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark. - The AP
 Women's basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark. - The AP
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Women's Basketball Growth Helped by Star Players, More Media Coverage

 Women's basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark. - The AP
 Women's basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark. - The AP

Women's basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark.

She’s become a household name that’s brought millions of new fans to the sport. But it's not just her. There's a slew of ultratalented players like Angel Reese, Juju Watkins and Paige Bueckers that are garnering attention.

Ticket demand, attendance, media coverage and television ratings have all blown up over the past few years ever since the COVID-19 season was played in the bubble.

While those numbers aren’t equal to the men’s NCAA Tournament, the gap has closed a lot, The Associated Press reported.

“I’ve said it before that it’s been intentional to hold women’s basketball back. It’s no longer intentional anymore because they see we’re bursting at the seams,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “We just want to be treated as a sport. We just want an opportunity to be seen, and I do feel like there has been — it’s been very intentional to put us on TV.”

The ratings for the first four rounds of the tournament have skyrocketed, including a record-breaking 12.3 million who tuned in for the Iowa-LSU game in the Elite Eight on Monday.

“It’s great. I think there’s great players on the men’s and women’s side," Purdue center Zach Edey said. "The fact that they’re kind of getting that coverage and exposure is long overdue. They have a lot of really good players.”

Edey is one of the rare men's stars who stuck around for four years. Usually the best men's college players jump to the pros after one season. The women greats stick around for four years helping fans know who they are.

“You’re able to build, like a real iconic legacy at a program,” NBA superstar LeBron James said. “That’s what we all love about it.”

There have always been great stars on the women's side like Diana Taurasi, Candace Parker and Brittney Griner. They just didn't get the attention that players today do.

“There's just more media coverage now which helps immensely from a brand perspective,” said Sara Gotfredson, who founded the Trailblazing Group, a Los Angeles marketing firm that specializes in commercial partnerships in women’s sports. “That's helping. When a men's player does some fantastic thing it gets covered on talk radio and SportsCenter. You're seeing that now on the women's side and it becomes water cooler conversation.”

UConn coach Geno Auriemma agreed that more coverage has helped the sport grow. His team for the past three decades has been the most covered and most well known program in the country. Now he sees a lot more schools and players get coverage.

“There was this point where people were, you know, dying for some other story line to appear. And there probably were some story lines but nobody really wanted to pay attention,” he said. “There weren’t enough people that they could look into what all the other story lines were. But now there’s way more opportunities for story lines. There’s more outlets for story lines.”

One area of growth that isn't talked about a lot is the changes to the game itself made in 2015, according to women’s basketball analyst LaChina Robinson. Playing four quarters, advancing the ball in the last minute of the contest. The men still play two 20-minute halves and don't allow the ball to advance at the end.

“Things like that have created a lot of opportunity within the game for excitement," she said. “There are more highlights and more exciting plays.”

Women’s sports has been riding a wave of popularity that stretches far beyond basketball. The perennially popular US women’s soccer team, the growth of women’s professional soccer and hockey, the wild popularity of volleyball and college softball and simply more exposure on TV — has all laid a foundation for fans to find what they want to see. And what they see is high-level play and star athletes.

“I can’t say that it’s bigger than the men’s side but it’s awesome for the women’s game,” said ACC Network analyst Luke Hancock, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the 2013 Final Four when he played for Louisville. “I’ve been locked in on more women’s games than I probably have ever before.”



Cancelo Ruled Out of Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League Semi with Al-Ahli 

Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
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Cancelo Ruled Out of Al-Hilal’s Asian Champions League Semi with Al-Ahli 

Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 
Football - Saudi Pro League – Al-Hilal v Al-Shabab - Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - April 21, 2025 Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus is seen during the match. (Reuters) 

Al-Hilal coach Jorge Jesus has ruled Joao Cancelo out of the remainder of his side's Asian Champions League Elite campaign with a hamstring injury ahead of their all-Saudi Pro League semi-final against Al-Ahli in Jeddah on Tuesday.

The former Manchester City and Barcelona defender limped off 42 minutes into Al-Hilal's 7-0 thrashing of South Korea's Gwangju on Friday and Jesus confirmed the 30-year-old would play no further part in the continental championship.

"The only negative part of an excellent night was the injury to Joao Cancelo," said Jesus. "He's one of the players who is very important for the team for his attacking ability.

"We will not have him. He will be out for four to six weeks, that means his season is practically over, but he will be well prepared for our participation in the Club World Cup."

Al-Hilal remain on track for a record-extending fifth Asian title but face a difficult challenge against an Al-Ahli side that is the only undefeated team left in the competition.

The clubs have already met three times this season in domestic competition, with Al-Ahli winning the most recent encounter in the Saudi Pro League thanks to a hat-trick by England striker Ivan Toney.

That win was coach Matthias Jaissle's first against Al-Hilal in five attempts and the German is confident his side can repeat the feat.

"It helps definitely to know, to feel that we are capable to win against Al-Hilal," said Jaissle.

"We've played against Al-Hilal so often and they have huge quality in their squad, but we're well prepared. We know exactly what will come tomorrow, there will be no surprises on the pitch. Details will be decisive."

The semi-final will be played at Al-Ahli's home at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium and Jaissle is hoping the support of the local fans will be a factor in deciding the outcome.

"The results in the matches since the competition started show clearly that this competition fits us," he said. "But we didn't achieve anything so far.

"Everything has to fit together, all the details in all phases of the game. Then you need sometimes a bit of luck and the extra energy of the fans."