• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 12, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Women’s College Basketball Begins Its Star-Studded Post–Caitlin Clark Era

Women’s college hoops tip off Monday after outdrawing the men in the championship game with 18.9 million viewers last season.

Apr 1, 2024; Portland, OR, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) drives to the basket during the second half against UConn Huskies guard Paige Bueckers (5) in the finals of the Portland Regional of the NCAA Tournament at the Moda Center.
Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images

The 2024–2025 women’s college basketball season returns following a historic campaign last year. Nearly 20 teams ranked heading into the season play their first game Monday, including some against one another—No. 5 UCLA takes on No. 17 Louisville, and No. 3 USC narrowly defeated No. 20 Ole Miss as part of a doubleheader in Paris. (This is the second year women’s basketball plays its opener in Paris as part of Aflac’s “Oui Play” event.)

Arguably the most significant factor defining this season is the shake-up of the women’s basketball landscape due to conference realignment. The now-defunct Pac-12 was dominant in women’s sports, especially women’s basketball, sending seven teams to the NCAA tournament (and round of 32) last season. Increased travel is a big part of the change: Top-ranked West Coast schools like USC and UCLA will routinely fly to the Midwest for conference games in the Big Ten; NC State, which made it to the Final Four last season (on the men’s side, too) will play away games against Cal, Stanford, and SMU as part of the new ACC. 

But another byproduct is a slew of new matchups: Reigning national champion South Carolina will have new SEC competition from preseason No. 4 Texas and No. 10 Oklahoma, which are moving over from the Big 12, and that conference, with its powerhouses like Iowa State and Baylor, is getting four new teams in realignment. These changes were motivated by football media dollars, but they’ll have huge implications for women’s basketball. 

Let’s quickly review last year’s historic business boom for women’s college hoops. Building off unprecedented success in March 2023 with 9.9 million viewers tuning in to the Iowa-LSU championship game on ESPN, the NCAA launched into a year of broken records. There were lines of fans wrapped around arenas, sold-out crowds, and sky-high ticket prices. In January, the NCAA announced a $920 million media-rights deal with ESPN for 40 championships including women’s basketball. In February, the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament sold out for the first time, two weeks before it began. In March, the get-in price for No. 6 Iowa versus No. 2 Ohio State was $491

Much of this movement was thanks to Caitlin Clark, but it wasn’t just about her. All five power conference tournaments saw increases in attendance and viewership—the Big Ten, SEC, and Pac-12 averaged three million, two million, and 1.4 million viewers for their championship games, respectively.

During March Madness, each game approaching the final set a higher and higher bar. It wasn’t just the rabid fans who were paying attention—there were also plenty of new ones. DraftKings said one night of Elite Eight matchups, led by an Iowa-LSU rematch, was comparable on its platform to an NFL game. That showing and UConn-USC outperformed NBA, MLB, and NHL games on several betting platforms. It all culminated with the national title game, which attracted 18.9 million viewers on ABC/ESPN. The figure easily cleared the men’s championship audience of 14.8 million viewers.

Many of the big draws, including Clark, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso, graduated to the WNBA, where they continued to shatter records. But this year’s stars have consistently commanded national attention, too.

UCLA’s Kiki Rice starred in ESPN’s Full Court Press docuseries in May with Clark and Cardoso. USC’s JuJu Watkins became the NCAA’s all-time freshman scoring leader with 920 points (27.1 points per game), aided by a 51-point performance against No. 4 Stanford. Joining Watkins in Los Angeles is Kiki Iriafen, a transfer from Stanford widely regarded as a top-two pick in next year’s WNBA draft. UConn’s Paige Bueckers, the 2021 National Player of the Year as a freshman whose career has been partially held back by her and her teammates’ injuries, helped draw 14.2 million viewers in the Final Four thriller against Iowa. On the other side of the bracket, South Carolina returner MiLaysia Fulwiley, who coach Dawn Staley calls a “generational talent,” helped earn 7.1 million viewers in last year’s Final Four matchup against NC State. Hailey Van Lith, who won bronze with Team USA in Paris for 3-on-3 basketball, is onto her third program at TCU. Olivia Miles at Notre Dame, Madison Booker at Texas, and Audi Crooks at Iowa State are all lethal weapons expected to lead their teams to stellar seasons.

Many of these athletes have partnerships with big brands like Nike and Gatorade, but the momentum over the past few seasons has led to bigger opportunities outside of name, image, and likeness (NIL) brand deals. Bueckers is getting her own colorway of a Nike shoe this December, the first custom designed Nike for a college athlete (excluding Rice’s shoe with Jordan Brand, which is owned by the Swoosh). The UConn star also signed with the 3-on-3 venture Unrivaled, which gives her an equity stake in the new league. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson has expanded her career in rap music, releasing a song with Lil Wayne this summer with a music video that got 2.5 million views on YouTube.

This year’s regular-season schedule offers several chances to gauge national excitement in the sport (regional excitement is nothing new—for example, South Carolina has led the nation in attendance the last nine years, with an average of more than 16,000 fans per home game last season). UConn plays Notre Dame, Iowa State, and USC in December and South Carolina in February. Several of those games are already sold out, and all are slated for national distribution on ABC, ESPN, Fox, or FS1. South Carolina also has nonconference games against UCLA and Iowa State, and USC will play Notre Dame.

ESPN has expressed interest in making a daily women’s basketball show. Its trio of Elle Duncan, Chiney Ogwumike, and Andraya Carter became superstars in their own right during the tournament for their fun and poignant studio coverage.

On top of the individual games, UConn, LSU, and South Carolina announced season ticket sellouts, a first in program history for the Gamecocks. Iowa State and Kentucky announced they’ve sold out of reserved season tickets, a first for the Wildcats.

The post-Clark days of women’s college hoops will be different, but business is still booming.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 11, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier (24) dribbles past Golden State Valkyries forward Janelle Salaun (13) in the second half at Target Center.

As WNBA Grows, Engelbert Says Its Playoff Field Won’t for a While

Eight of thirteen WNBA teams made the playoffs this year.
Ohio State Buckeyes linebacker Arvell Reese (8) pursues Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium on Aug. 30, 2025.

College Football Enters Week 3 Up 21% in TV Ratings

Total college football viewership across all networks is up big.
opinion

19 Rising Stars in Sports Media

Who are sports media’s rising stars? Here’s an inside look.
Sep 10, 2025; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Connecticut Sun forward Aaliyah Edwards (8) fights to keep the ball in-bounds during the second half against the Atlanta Dream at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Connecticut AG Demands Documents From WNBA About Sun Sale Process

The WNBA reportedly prefers to move the team to Houston.

Featured Today

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.
September 10, 2025

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.
September 9, 2025

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion
September 9, 2025

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Mar 4, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., speaks with Rep. Marjorie Taylor-Greene, R-Ga., ahead of President Trump’s address to a joint session of Congress at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., on March 4, 2025.

House Republicans Delay SCORE Act Vote Tentatively Planned for Next Week

They didn’t believe they had enough votes to pass the bill.
Feb 17, 2024; Boise, Idaho, USA; Fresno State Bulldogs guard Jalen Weaver (5) during the first half against the Boise State Broncos at ExtraMile Arena.
September 10, 2025

NCAA Bans 3 Basketball Players for Violating Betting Rules Last Season

The former San Jose State and Fresno State players have lost eligibility.
Jan 25, 2023; Langley, British Columbia, CAN; Highlights from the CHL Kubota Top Prospects game at the Langley Events Centre
September 10, 2025

NCAA Hockey Scouts Denied Passes for Crucial Recruiting League

The CHL won’t welcome scouts on passes: “It comes across as petty.”
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
NFL Congress
exclusive
September 10, 2025

College Sports ‘House of Cards’: Republicans, Lobbyists Work to Secure Votes to..

Several House Republicans criticized the SCORE Act on social media.
The cover of the College Football 25 video game.
exclusive
September 9, 2025

Group That Facilitated NIL Deal for Football Video Game Now Says It’s..

EA offered $1,500 and no royalties; it also deleted an opt-out clause.
Sep 6, 2025; Gainesville, Florida, USA; South Florida Bulls place kicker Nico Gramatica (7), South Florida Bulls long snapper Turner McLaughlin (48) and teammates celebrate after a game against the Florida Gators at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.
September 8, 2025

USF Is the Newest Financial Underdog in the AP Top 25

USF’s athletic department brings in half the amount Florida does.
September 7, 2025

Oklahoma-Michigan Was a Battle of Dueling QB NIL Philosophies

Bryce Underwood got into a heated exchange with his teammate.