Last season, the NCAA women’s basketball championship’s views were up 103%, drawing in 9.9 million views from fans nationwide. As women’s basketball gains popularity, here are some teams and matchups to look out for when the college season starts in November.
In 2022, Louisiana State’s lethal duo comprising of Flau’jae Johnson and Angel Reese dominated the court against Iowa during the NCAA championship with a collective 25 points and 17 rebounds between the two. Soon, Hailey Van Lith, an up-and-coming guard, will join them for her fourth season of college basketball. As the leading scorer of her past school, University of Louisville, Van Lith averaged 19.7 points per game. With the three of them on one team, other teams should be ready to battle it all out on the court.
Next, the rising senior who dropped 41 points against the undefeated South Carolina team: Caitlin Clark. The University of Iowa player led her team to the finals in last year’s March Madness tournament, scoring 30 points, more than double than the next leading scorer. Clark’s precise shooting from far away in combination with her spot-on passing brings out the best in her teammates and lifts them to new heights.
Now that Aliyah Boston, a star player from the University of South Carolina, has joined the WNBA, many are excited to see what happens next for the Gamecocks. The team thrived during the 2022-23 season, going undefeated until the March Madness semifinals against Iowa. Unfortunately the senior class of 2023 has left, taking with them the experience and know-how that helped to carry the South Carolina team to an almost perfect season. Although they may not be at the top, the Gamecocks are expected to stay at the top of the ranks for the next season.
With women’s basketball achieving higher viewership, make sure to stay at the top of your game by watching and learning from these inspirational players.