Gene Frenette: Stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers give women's hoops deserved spotlight
It was no April Fool’s joke on Monday night when the biggest spotlight in college basketball after a glorious hoops weekend turned out to be, yes, the women’s Elite Eight.
No offense, men — and time will tell if this was a planet-aligning circumstance or a future trend — but the Final Four matchups from Friday night through Monday night have the rare look of being as compelling and must-see TV on the women’s side.
Indeed, the brightest stars in college hoops right now are the ones who play exclusively below the rim.
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The Elite Eight showcased that in a Monday prime-time doubleheader that featured Iowa’s Caitlin Clark — called “the best offensive player in the last 30 years” by ESPN analyst and Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo — going up against LSU’s Angel Reese in a rematch of last year’s national championship that the Tigers won going away, 103-85.
In the nightcap, an injury-riddled UConn team led by Paige Bueckers, the 2021 national Player of the Year, faced the game’s next big headliner in USC freshman JuJu Watkins. It all made for one of the greatest days in college hoops history, regardless of gender.
Both games, especially the performances of Clark and Bueckers, lived up to hype that usurped any of the men’s Elite Eight matchups, though top overall seed UConn’s 30-0 run after a 23-23 tie against Illinois was breathtakingly memorable for its stunning precision.
While the men’s tournament maintained its tradition of first weekend upsets, and North Carolina State emerged as a true Cinderella behind emerging star PJ Burns, Jr., nothing in this March Madness has been as electrifying as watching the brilliance of Clark and Bueckers take center stage.
Star power on display
Clark, twice the nation’s leading scorer and assists leader, collected 41 points and 12 assists as Iowa exacted revenge on LSU, 94-87. The Tigers never quite recovered from the four three-point bombs Clark dropped on them over a four-minute span in the third quarter.
The female version of Steph Curry twice victimized smaller guard Hailey Van Lith, once with a behind-the-back dribble to gain separation before letting it fly. The 6-foot Clark hit another over Last-Tear Poa, then capped her flurry on a step-back three over 6-foot-3 Reese.
Depending on what happens against UConn on Friday night, and a possible NCAA title game matchup with unbeaten South Carolina, what Clark did to LSU may go down as the greatest performance of her stupendous career.
Two hours later, it was Bueckers’ turn to come up clutch. She did most of the damage on a decisive 17-5 UConn run midway through the fourth quarter. Bueckers connected on a ridiculously tough baseline jumper and deep three-pointer on back-to-back possessions that gave the Huskies the necessary separation in their 80-73 victory.
Paige “Buckets,” a nickname she has trademarked, finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. It was perhaps her best game since undergoing surgery for a torn ACL in August 2022, forcing her to miss all of last season.
Watkins, the game’s next electrifying player and all-time leading freshman scorer, was equally impressive on her biggest stage with 29 points and 10 rebounds.
Ten or 20 years from now, it’s not a stretch to think this 2024 NCAA Tournament with so much star power will be remembered as the biggest breakthrough for women’s hoops.
Certainly with Reese and Clark having the largest Instagram followings of any college player (male or female), 2.7 million and 1.2 million, respectively, and Bueckers next at 1.1 million, they are taking the game’s visibility to another level.
For the first time, the women’s game is generating as much or more buzz during March Madness as the men.
Dominant 7-foot-4 Purdue center Zach Edey is probably the most recognizable name on the men's side, and it's anyone's guess who would be the next one. Few had even heard of NCAA Tournament darling Burns from North Carolina State until a couple weeks ago.
“I think it’s just great for the sport, just being able to be a part of history,” Reese said after the Iowa loss. “Like I said, no matter which way it went tonight, I know this was going to be a night for the ages.
“Playing against another great player, of course, is always amazing and our [television] viewership going up.”
Last year’s Iowa-LSU title game attracted a record 9.9 million viewers, which was obliterated as 12.3 million tuned in to ESPN for the Monday rematch.
Ratings in this tournament indicate Clark is the biggest needle mover, so the expectation is the Final Four will also have robust numbers.
Glad Caitlin is going bye-bye
No matter how much some LSU fans were second-guessing LSU coach Kim Mulkey for not changing up defenses on Clark sooner, it wouldn’t have mattered.
A lot of her nine three-pointers were contested shots, and combined with Clark’s exquisite passing ability, she had a direct hand in 67 of the Hawkeyes’ 94 points.
There has never been anyone remotely comparable to Clark in the women’s game for the depth of her shots and consistency in setting up teammates with smart passes.
When Mulkey was asked what she told Clark after taking apart LSU’s defense, the four-time national championship coach replied: “What did I say to her? I said I sure am glad you’re leaving. I said, ‘Girl, you something else.’ Never seen anything like it.”
Clark bypassed the opportunity to stay at Iowa one more year and is headed for the WNBA draft, and Reese followed suit on Wednesday. But other upcoming headliners, including Stanford's Cameron Brink and Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, are going to be around for a while.
Bueckers intends to play another season at UConn and USC's Watkins will only be a sophomore. Had Reese stayed, she was thought to be making more money with NIL and her Instagram following than the $252,450 salary of the highest-paid WNBA player, the Las Vegas Aces’ Jackie Young.
No telling what Clark, possibly the greatest ambassador ever for the state of Iowa, is pulling down with her Nike, Gatorade and State Farm sponsorship deals.
The name recognition and stature for Clark, along with Reese and Bueckers and the future potential of newcomer Watkins, could approach what it was like for U.S. women soccer stars like Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Brandi Chastain in their heyday.
Clark's popularity is soaring so much that legendary rapper Ice Cube, who runs the BIG3 basketball league that features former NBA players, has made a $5 million offer for the Iowa legend to join up.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Ice Cube wrote on X. “Caitlin is a generational athlete who can achieve tremendous success in the BIG3.”
The Final Four is just another opportunity for Clark and Bueckers — the winner likely having to get by unbeaten South Carolina (a 11.5-point favorite over North Carolina State) in the NCAA title game — to add to the ascending popularity of women’s college basketball.
“Next weekend should be just as much fun as this weekend,” said UConn coach Geno Auriemma after the USC game. “Yeah, I hope Caitlin Clark had a personal agenda against LSU. I know there’s nothing personal between me and her. I don’t need to be seeing her drop 50 on us next weekend.”
Women generating 'respect factor'
This isn’t to suggest NCAA television ratings for the women’s tournament has moved ahead of the men, but the gap clearly isn’t as wide as it used to be.
The average rating for a men’s NCAA game is a tick over 9 million viewers, with Sunday’s Elite Eight matchups of North Carolina State beating Duke and Purdue eliminating Tennessee averaging 12.8 million on CBS. The women’s average on ESPN cable for Monday’s Elite Eight was 9.5 million.
Still, compared to past ratings, the women’s game is seeing a dramatic uptick in viewership, thanks mostly to the Caitlin Clark factor. That’s especially true when matched up against Reese, who truthfully brings eyeballs because of her impactful game and, fair or not, being a lightning rod for controversy.
Reese’s appeal beyond the court is she’s highly opinionated, which also attracts criticism because some don’t always like how she comes across. She was also absent from four games early this season for reasons that Mulkey or Reese refused to disclose.
But it’s undeniable that Reese being the star player on a national championship team, combined with Clark, Bueckers and Watkins occupying center stage in varying degrees, is compelling people to pay closer attention to women’s hoops.
Auriemma, who has coached some of the sport’s biggest names in Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore while winning 11 national titles, believes Monday’s Elite Eight doubleheader and upcoming Final Four is a historic breakthrough.
“You don’t want to overdramatize it, but for the longest time, it was if someone had these kinds of moments like these kids are having right now, they were either compared automatically to men’s basketball and always came up wanting,” said Auriemma. “Or they were, ‘Wow, look at that,’ like there’s actually a female athlete that can do that.
“It never garnered the respect factor. It was always an incredulous factor. I can’t believe, she plays like a guy. But now it’s for real. Now they’re being appreciated for their incredible talents, the show that they put on, the excitement that they create on the court, the excitement that the fans feel.
“And God bless ‘em. They’ve done it. It’s almost like they’ve made everybody come to the 20th century, so to speak, and finally catch on with what these people are capable of doing.”
For those who remain dismissive of women’s basketball, thinking it’s an inferior product unworthy of their interest without high-flying dunks, maybe you should try opening your eyes.
This isn’t about how women compare to men on the hardwood. It’s about appreciating players like Clark, Bueckers, Reese, Watkins and other stars inspiring the next generation of girls to be like them.
Whether they can elevate the decrepit viewership numbers of the WNBA when they get there is another matter. The WNBA has done a poor job of marketing its product and lacks the branding muscle of March Madness.
Still, the 2024 women’s NCAA tournament is proof that basketball below the rim can be a fun, entertaining product. Especially when you have ladies with star power every bit as impressive, if not more so, as the men.
Gfrenette@jacksonville.com: (904) 359-4540; Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @genefrenette
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: No offense, men, but women's Final Four has more star power with Clark, Bueckers
