LeBron James says popularity of women’s basketball is due to familiar stars
9 months, 1 week ago

LeBron James says popularity of women’s basketball is due to familiar stars

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — LeBron James figures there’s at least one obvious explanation for the surging popularity of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. I think the popularity comes in is the icons that they have in the women’s game,” James said after his Los Angeles Lakers beat Washington on Wednesday night. And that’s just to name a few — the freshman that’s at Notre Dame.” Although James mentioned well-known men’s players like Purdue’s Zach Edey and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, he noted that the transfer portal and early NBA draft departures makes it harder for players to became familiar to fans. “It’s cool to be in Cleveland and play here, a place where his career started, and he was able to do so many amazing things.” When Clark and Iowa beat Reese and LSU in the regional final Monday night, it was the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record.

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History of this topic

The darker side of the rise of women’s sports: With more visibility comes more online harassment
3 weeks, 2 days ago

The darker side of the rise of women’s sports: With more visibility comes more online harassment

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — For Djaniele Taylor, attending WNBA games was the perfect way to rediscover a sense of community coming out of the long slog of pandemic-era lockdowns. Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas celebrates a basket while being fouled during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round WNBA basketball playoff series against the Indiana Fever, Sept. 25, 2024, …

Michael B. Jordan uses timeout at women’s college basketball game to sign smoldering photo
1 month, 2 weeks ago

Michael B. Jordan uses timeout at women’s college basketball game to sign smoldering photo

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Jordan, who was People’s “Sexiest Man Alive” in 2020, was shown on the videoboard, which then moved to a woman wearing a USC sweatshirt who held up a smoldering double-truck magazine image of the “Black Panther” actor. “For LA being the center of women’s basketball …

In a ‘Final Four-type weekend,’ two top-6 clashes put women’s college basketball focus on West Coast
1 month, 2 weeks ago

In a ‘Final Four-type weekend,’ two top-6 clashes put women’s college basketball focus on West Coast

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 women’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! “To have two such marquee games back-to-back days on a weekend is unbelievable.” USC’s Galen Center and Pauley Pavilion are expected to be packed, with several WNBA scouts in attendance. “What a cool thing for women’s sports, but a cool thing for JuJu,” said Gottlieb, …

Women’s basketball isn’t having a moment. This is our new reality
2 months ago

Women’s basketball isn’t having a moment. This is our new reality

New York Times  

I was in the seventh grade the first time sports writing gave me a visceral feeling. GO DEEPER Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins: How UConn, USC stars will keep women's basketball in spotlight Defending champion South Carolina sold out its season ticket packages for the first time in program history. Limited season tickets remain for XL Center games ➡️ https://t.co/SLhPATBr4S …

Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins: How UConn, USC stars will keep women’s basketball in spotlight
2 months, 1 week ago

Paige Bueckers vs. JuJu Watkins: How UConn, USC stars will keep women’s basketball in spotlight

New York Times  

USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb noticed a stranger approaching. Kevin Hart was in attendance to see JuJu Watkins and the USC Women’s Basketball team ✌️#ncaaw #fighton pic.twitter.com/31PLjQDknN — WNBA Got Game December 20, 2023 Bueckers, who won national Player of the Year as a freshman four years ago, is in her final season at UConn. Watkins’ and Bueckers’ play, storylines …

New Wave of Talented Women's Basketball Players Ready to Take Over
2 months, 1 week ago

New Wave of Talented Women's Basketball Players Ready to Take Over

Associated Press  

A new generation of talented women's basketball players is ready to take over. With the departures of Clark and Reese, several players are stepping up to fill the void. Paige Bueckers, JuJu Watkins, Deja Kelly, and Hannah Hidalgo are among the many talented players who are poised to make a big impact on the sport. The future of women's basketball …

Caitlin Clark responds to WNBA star A'ja Wilson's claims that her meteoric rise comes down to her race
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Caitlin Clark responds to WNBA star A'ja Wilson's claims that her meteoric rise comes down to her race

Daily Mail  

Caitlin Clark has responded to WNBA star Aj'a Wilson's claims that her meteoric rise in popularity comes down to her race ahead of her league debut on Wednesday. Just a day after Wilson, a power forward for the Las Vegas Aces, told The Associated Press that her 'blood boils' when people refuse to believe that ethnicity is a factor in …

Women’s Basketball Could Be Huge. Will Men Let It?
8 months, 2 weeks ago

Women’s Basketball Could Be Huge. Will Men Let It?

Slate  

This is Emotional Investment, Joel Anderson’s column about money and how we think about it. “We were born too soon,” said Molly Kazmer, who in June 1978 became the first player signed to the Women’s Professional Basketball League, or WBL, which is believed to have been the first pro league for women in the U.S. Then known as Molly “Machine …

The NCAA women’s tourney had everything: stars, upsets, an undefeated champion. It’s just the start
9 months ago

The NCAA women’s tourney had everything: stars, upsets, an undefeated champion. It’s just the start

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — It isn’t just Caitlin Clark. While the two-time Associated Press Player of the Year understands her impact on the women’s NCAA Tournament during the Hawkeyes’ run to a second straight title game — with the sellouts she played in front of, the historic TV ratings and all those commercials, it was hard to miss — Clark never forgot …

Caitlin Clark, Iowa lose NCAA basketball final; win big on women’s sport
9 months ago

Caitlin Clark, Iowa lose NCAA basketball final; win big on women’s sport

Al Jazeera  

Clark missed out on US collegiate basketball’s greatest prize, but her game captured the imagination of fans everywhere. “When I think about women’s basketball going forward, obviously it’s going to continue to grow, whether it’s at the college level or the WNBA level,” Clark said of her legacy. “When you continue to give them the platform, things like this are …

Women’s basketball growth helped by star players, more media coverage, rules changes
9 months ago

Women’s basketball growth helped by star players, more media coverage, rules changes

Associated Press  

CLEVELAND — Women’s basketball has grown in popularity over the past few years thanks in no small part to the sensational play of Caitlin Clark. I think there’s great players on the men’s and women’s side,” Purdue center Zach Edey said. “There’s just more media coverage now which helps immensely from a brand perspective,” said Sara Gotfredson, who founded the …

Lakers newsletter: LeBron James points out the NBA’s college basketball problem
9 months ago

Lakers newsletter: LeBron James points out the NBA’s college basketball problem

LA Times  

Hey everyone, this is Dan Woike and welcome to The Times’ Lakers newsletter, coming to you on the way back from one of the best Lakers’ road trips in recent memory. That’s what we all love.” Currently, WNBA rules allow for graduating college seniors or anyone turning 22 during the “calendar year” in which the draft is held. Multiple league …

The women’s NCAA Tournament had center stage. The stars, and the games, delivered in a big way
9 months, 1 week ago

The women’s NCAA Tournament had center stage. The stars, and the games, delivered in a big way

Associated Press  

There were plenty of people at a movie theater in central Iowa on Monday night, though very few of them were watching an actual movie. Rapper Travis Scott told his nearly 12 million followers on X, the site formerly known as Twitter, that Monday “might be one for the illest days in women’s sports historyyyyyyy.” And Hall of Famer Magic …

Top women’s college players like Clark and Reese expect NIL deals to stay with them in the pros
9 months, 2 weeks ago

Top women’s college players like Clark and Reese expect NIL deals to stay with them in the pros

Associated Press  

Only a few short years ago, there was no inkling that college basketball players could be millionaires or at least be able to consider staying in school because they could earn enough money to make it worth their while even with pro contracts available. Women’s basketball is one of the hottest tickets in college sports, a popularity driven in part …

Caitlin, Angel, Paige, JuJu and more. The March Madness star power this year is all about the women
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Caitlin, Angel, Paige, JuJu and more. The March Madness star power this year is all about the women

Associated Press  

As March Madness is set to tip off, three of the most recognizable names in college basketball are in the women’s tournament: Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers. “One thousand percent we’ve seen a shift in just the perception of women’s college basketball in general,” USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb said. They’re all visible.” ESPN said it just saw the …

Women's NCAA tournament slam dunks on the men this year
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Women's NCAA tournament slam dunks on the men this year

LA Times  

The brackets for the two 2024 NCAA basketball tournaments have been announced and already there is one shining moment. “It’s March Madness, you have two Southern California women’s teams hosting the first two rounds of the tournament, get on board, let’s sell out both arenas, let’s go, it’s pretty tremendous!” Women’s college basketball these days is indeed pretty tremendous, with …

Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch
9 months, 3 weeks ago

Why March Madness belongs to the women: Star players, big ratings make it tourney to watch

New York Times  

There’s always a sign. There were also my guy friends back home who, for the first time, were planning their weekend around the women’s NCAA Tournament games instead of the men’s. GO DEEPER Like Steph and Jimmer before her, Caitlin Clark is a ‘once in a lifetime’ experience ESPN recently announced that this was its most-watched women’s college basketball regular …

UConn, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee to participate in Women’s Champions Classic
10 months, 3 weeks ago

UConn, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee to participate in Women’s Champions Classic

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — UConn, Iowa, Louisville and Tennessee will take part in the inaugural Women’s Champions Classic on Dec. 7. “The Women’s Champions Classic is the next step in Fox Sports’ longstanding commitment to elevating women’s athletics, and we are eager to showcase these student-athletes at the highest level – in primetime on the Fox broadcast network,” said Executive Vice …

Lakers newsletter: The in-season tournament and LeBron James have been the perfect couple
1 year, 1 month ago

Lakers newsletter: The in-season tournament and LeBron James have been the perfect couple

LA Times  

Hey everyone, I’m Dan Woike and welcome to a sinful Las Vegas edition of the Lakers newsletter, a place where we always split aces and always hit on 16 against face cards. For the guy with the meme-able memory and seemingly all of the answers, when James was asked during training camp if players would actually be excited about the …

Women’s college basketball is having a moment. The NCAA needs to seize it
1 year, 1 month ago

Women’s college basketball is having a moment. The NCAA needs to seize it

New York Times  

Shortly after the women’s NCAA Tournament set viewership and attendance records last year as LSU took down Iowa for the championship, the Charlotte Sports Foundation began making calls to see about hosting a major women’s basketball game to kick off the 2023-24 season. pic.twitter.com/shI90qCCiD — Front Office Sports November 10, 2023 But you also don’t normally have the women’s national …

Caitlin Clark’s production and panache make her a women’s basketball ambassador, a role she embraces
1 year, 2 months ago

Caitlin Clark’s production and panache make her a women’s basketball ambassador, a role she embraces

Associated Press  

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Her likeness was sculptured out of butter at the state fair and a tribute to her was a highlight for an Iowa marching band football halftime show. “Caitlin has a little bit more attention,” Bluder said, “but when her light shines, it shines on everybody in that locker room, so let’s all enjoy it.” Gabbie Marshall …

LeBron James’ delight in Bronny’s USC decision reveals college always mattered to him
1 year, 8 months ago

LeBron James’ delight in Bronny’s USC decision reveals college always mattered to him

LA Times  

Lakers forward LeBron James celebrates with his sons Bronny, left, and Bryce after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading scorer on Feb. 7 at Crypto.com Arena. That didn’t deter his billionaire father, LeBron James, from expressing pride in his son’s decision to become the first person in “the James gang” to attend a university, even if it’s only for one or …

Column: Angel Reese isn’t harming women’s sports. Her pearl-clutching critics are
1 year, 9 months ago

Column: Angel Reese isn’t harming women’s sports. Her pearl-clutching critics are

LA Times  

LSU’s Angel Reese, right, reacts in front of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark during the NCAA Women’s Final Four championship basketball game on Sunday. Two major upsets — LSU’s defeat of Virginia Tech and Iowa’s win over South Carolina — led to a final in which sophomore Angel Reese and the deep bench of LSU overcame the phenomenal star power of Iowa …

US women’s basketball dominates on international stage
2 years, 3 months ago

US women’s basketball dominates on international stage

Associated Press  

SYDNEY — A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart are keenly aware of the legacy of success they are part of with the U.S. women’s basketball team. “It’s been an incredible journey just to continue to lay that foundation down like so many of the greats in front of us have,” Wilson said. “Now it’s our turn to step up and be …

Women’s Final Four can be a financial windfall for players
2 years, 9 months ago

Women’s Final Four can be a financial windfall for players

Associated Press  

The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season! “I think women’s basketball is doing really well in that regard, just with the opportunities we’re given, and sort of the chances we’re getting in the field,” she said. Marsh, who also teaches sports law and ethics at Northwestern, said many players have done a better …

After scathing report, NCAA makes changes for March Madness
2 years, 10 months ago

After scathing report, NCAA makes changes for March Madness

Associated Press  

Nearly a year ago, Oregon forward Sedona Prince took to Twitter to expose some of the more glaring inequities between the men’s and women’s NCAA Tournaments — an unwelcome viral moment for the organization and one that it is still responding to. Many of the changes have been relatively easy to do, such as expanding the tournament to 68 teams …

Kobe Bryant became champion of women’s sports after career
4 years, 11 months ago

Kobe Bryant became champion of women’s sports after career

LA Times  

Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the first half of an NCAA college basketball game between Connecticut and Houston on March 2, 2019. “We lost a great voice and a champion of women’s athletics,” Graves said Monday night, one day after Bryant and Gianna, 13, were killed in a helicopter crash that claimed seven other lives. Graves said Bryant’s …

The King reigns: LeBron James is AP’s male athlete of decade
5 years ago

The King reigns: LeBron James is AP’s male athlete of decade

Associated Press  

He left Cleveland for Miami, finally became a champion, went back to his beloved northeast Ohio, delivered on another title promise, then left for the Los Angeles Lakers and the next challenge. “When LeBron James is involved,” Denver coach Michael Malone said, “I’m never surprised.” Including playoffs, no one in the NBA scored more points than James in the last …

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