OPINION: Women’s Sports have never been this profitable, but with that comes certain levels of struggle
Marc Goldstein, a sophomore studying journalism and opinion editor for The New Political, argues that the recent increase in viewership for women’s sports is a good thing, but learning how to use the audience will be a big test. Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.
On April 7, 18.7 million people tuned in to watch the South Carolina Gamecocks defeat the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship. This shattered the record for the most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s in the history of ESPN, the company that has aired the NBA Finals for decades as well as other momentous moments. The 18.7 million viewers topped the record that was set just two days prior when Iowa faced Connecticut in a matchup that drew 14.2 million sets of eyeballs to ESPN. Before that, Iowa and Louisiana State (LSU) faced off in the Elite Eight, setting a record at the time for 12.3 million viewers.
The one constant is Iowa, who boasts arguably the most dominant player in the history of college basketball, Caitlin Clark. The all-time leading scorer in NCAA history has electrified crowds with her deep threes and masterful passing. She is the consensus No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming WNBA Draft on Monday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.. The team picking first overall, the Indiana Fever, are already seeing the “Clark Effect” come into play. The team only played 24 times on national television last season. With the pending selection of Clark, the team will play 36 out of its 40 regular season games on national television.
Clark is the headliner and there are a multitude of words that can be used to describe her as a player, but the first one that must be used is marketable. Being the best player on the floor at all times, she has the ability to catch the eyes of fans across the country. In fact, her No. 22 jersey has been the highest-selling jersey of any collegiate athlete since 2022, when Fanatics began to sell college athletes’ merchandise.
However, Clark is not the only big name in this season’s WNBA Draft. Stars like Angel Reese (Louisiana State University), Kami Cardoso (University of South Carolina), Rickea Jackson (University of Tennessee), Cameron Brink (Stanford University) and Alissa Pili (University of Utah) are just some of the names that are slated to be high draft picks. These players have all established themselves as stars in their sport even if they pale in comparison to Clark’s stardom.
The increased viewership for Women’s College Basketball and, soon, the WNBA does a lot of good for these world-class athletes and the schools/franchises. However, the increased viewership also means that these athletes are subject to the same type of scrutiny as is seen for male athletes. This is not a completely bad thing. For starters, it means that the masses are watching Women’s Sports, something that has long been dreamed of by the athletes.
The USWNT has been far more successful than the USMNT and the viewership shows that fact. For years, the USWNT fought sexism and prejudice among the American public’s dismissal of the accomplishments and the bosses that were not giving the players a fair amount of the revenue. Names like Megan Rapinoe, Hope Solo and Alex Morgan became household names. Outside of the fact that the USWNT had to fight for years just to make the same percentage of their male counterparts, the WNBA should take note of the USWNT. The big-name players that have played for the organization, the success and the marketability has made the entire sport of Women’s Soccer so much more known.
Additionally, more endorsement opportunities are possible for these athletes with the increased viewership, giving them more money overall to supplement a lackluster salary given by the WNBA.
The scrutiny has been something that has become a major issue. The type of hate that an athlete like LeBron James receives on social media after a bad game is now being seen in the comment section of players like Clark, Reese and all other female athletes.
Some of this hate comes from the peers of these players. For example, WNBA legend Diana Taurasi gave a rather honest answer when asked about Clark’s WNBA leap.
“Reality is coming,” Taurasi told ESPN's Scott Van Pelt. “You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds but you're going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
This is the latest comment made by a highly-respected member of the league, but this criticism is something that many of these athletes are not used to, holistically speaking. Being blunt, the majority of WNBA games are sparsely attended outside of a few teams and the playoffs. The league is less equivalent to the NBA than might be assumed seeing as the NBA owns the WNBA. That is about to change.
The WNBA is going to see the same revelation in viewership and fandom as was seen by the US Women’s National Team in soccer. The influx of talent is a great thing for the WNBA, but making the most of it and capitalizing on the momentum that has come with the new wave of stars will be the biggest key.
Please note that these views and opinions do not reflect those of The New Political.
