Andrew Pace
Women's basketball has been gaining popularity in recent years, with the 2024 NCAA women's championship receiving more viewers than any college or professional basketball game since 2019. Despite this, women's basketball still faces challenges in terms of attractiveness, marketability, unequal coverage, funding, and respect for their professional league. The rise in popularity can be attributed to talented players like Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers, as well as the fast-paced, spread-out style of play that emphasizes three-point shooting. While women's basketball is gaining traction, it is still working to establish consistent popularity and close the disparity gap with men's basketball, which remains the dominant tournament in terms of revenue and viewership.
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What You'll Learn
Women's attractiveness affects popularity
Women's basketball has long been underrepresented in sports coverage, funding, and care, but there has been a recent surge in its popularity. The 2024 NCAA Women's Championship received more viewers than any college or professional basketball game for any gender since 2019, and the 2023 NCAA Women's Championship game drew more viewers than the men's title game, peaking at 24 million viewers.
This surge in popularity has been attributed to the emergence of talented and charismatic stars, including Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and Angel Reese, who have made the games must-watch television. Clark, in particular, has been credited with bringing a lot of people to the women's game, with her record-breaking performances going viral on social media and increasing investment, attention, and viewership for Women's March Madness games.
However, one Reddit user attributes the rise in popularity of women's basketball to the attractiveness of the players, stating that "in the case of women, your level of attractiveness affects how popular you will become". This user goes on to say that Caitlin Clark was more marketable in this department compared to another player, Brittany Griner.
While it is difficult to determine the exact reasons for the increased popularity of women's basketball, it is clear that the combination of talented players, increased media coverage, and social media spotlight has played a significant role. The visibility of female athletes is powerful, bringing new eyes to the game and redefining our ideas of the standard.
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Lack of endorsements and big contracts
Women's basketball has long faced an uphill battle for equal resources, recognition, and pay. Despite record ratings and a growing fan base, women's basketball still struggles financially, with players earning far less than their male counterparts. This disparity is evident in the salaries of top players like Caitlin Clark, who, despite being a widely recognised superstar, earns a modest $76,535 from her WNBA salary, a stark contrast to the multi-million-dollar contracts in the NBA.
The WNBA has recognised the issue and is taking steps to address it. In 2020, the league and its players' union agreed on a new collective bargaining agreement that aimed to nearly double the maximum salary and provide paid maternity leave. This agreement signalled a radical shift in how female athletes are compensated, recognising the indispensable role of WNBA players in shaping the league's future success.
While these changes are a step in the right direction, there is still much room for improvement. WNBA players can benefit from revenue sharing, but only if certain revenue thresholds are met, which has been challenging. To close the pay gap, the WNBA can leverage its collective bargaining power to secure more lucrative deals, partnering with high-profile brands and negotiating better television contracts.
Endorsement deals also play a crucial role in boosting players' incomes. Since the NIL era began in July 2021, allowing amateur athletes to seek endorsement deals, women's basketball has ranked third among NIL-compensated sports. Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, and Juju Watkins are notable examples, signing endorsement deals with Nike. These deals not only boost players' incomes but also help grow the women's apparel business and attract corporate partnerships.
Additionally, social media plays an increasingly important role in the success of female athletes. With more women using social media than men, companies are recognising the potential of NIL deals. Athletes can leverage their online presence to expand their brand and engage with followers, compensating for the lack of traditional media coverage that women's sports have historically received.
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Inequality in media coverage
Women's basketball has long been an afterthought in the media, with players receiving no endorsements, big contracts, or perks and playing purely for the love of the game. While there has been a recent surge in popularity, with the 2024 NCAA women's championship receiving more viewers than any college or professional basketball game since 2019, there is still a huge disparity in the media coverage of men's and women's basketball.
Basketball is the most popular sport in the United States with a women's league comparable to the top men's league, yet there is a significant difference in the viewership of the NBA and WNBA finals. The men's game remains the primary money-maker, with the 2022 men's basketball tournament generating almost a billion dollars for the NCAA, around 85% of its annual revenue.
The media's focus on the attractiveness of female players and the lack of equitable coverage, funding, and care for women's sports have contributed to this inequality. Despite the presence of talented and charismatic stars, such as Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers, who have made women's basketball appointment viewing, the sport still struggles to gain consistent popularity and respect for its professional league.
Women's basketball has historically received less media attention, with television ratings for women's college basketball games lagging. However, there are signs of positive change, such as the MSU Denver coaching staff receiving equal pay and benefits for the men's and women's basketball teams. The challenge now is to build on this momentum and create permanent change to address the inequality in media coverage of women's basketball.
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Less funding and support
Women's basketball has historically received less funding and support than its male counterpart. This disparity is evident in various aspects, from endorsements and contracts to media coverage and popularity.
Endorsements and contracts play a significant role in the disparity between men's and women's basketball. Until recently, female players received little to no perks, endorsements, or substantial contracts. They played primarily for the love of the game, with any financial incentives being minimal. This lack of financial support has been a long-standing issue, impacting the professional league more than college basketball.
Media coverage of women's basketball has also been lacking. Television ratings, often used as a metric for popularity, have traditionally been lower for women's games. This has led to a perception that women's basketball is less exciting or worthy of attention, perpetuating the cycle of less coverage and sponsorship. However, it's important to note that talented and charismatic stars, such as Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers, have helped increase the popularity of women's college basketball, attracting new audiences and media attention.
The popularity of women's basketball has been on the rise, but it still lags behind men's basketball in terms of viewership and revenue generation. The men's game remains the primary money-maker, with events like March Madness generating significant revenue for the NCAA. While women's basketball is gaining traction, with increasing viewership and ticket sales, it is still working to establish consistent popularity and respect for its professional league.
The issue of attractiveness influencing marketability and popularity is also prevalent. Caitlin Clark's dominance and exciting style of play have drawn attention to the women's game, but some argue that her physical attractiveness also played a role in her marketability. This dynamic underscores the complexities of the challenges faced by female athletes, where their athletic prowess and skill are sometimes secondary considerations to their physical appearance.
Despite these challenges, there are positive signs of change. For instance, the WNBA now provides charter flights for its players, and some institutions, like MSU Denver, have achieved parity in pay and benefits for coaching staff across men's and women's basketball teams. These steps towards equality in treatment and recognition are crucial for the continued growth and success of women's basketball.
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Perceived as less competitive
Women's basketball has historically been perceived as less competitive than its male counterpart, resulting in lower viewership and revenue. This perception has contributed to the sport being considered inappropriate or less worthy of attention. However, in recent years, women's basketball has experienced a surge in popularity, challenging the notion that it is less competitive or exciting.
The rise of stars such as Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers has attracted new audiences and highlighted the competitiveness and excitement of the women's game. Clark's dominance and exciting style of play have been credited with drawing attention to women's basketball, leading to a bandwagon effect that has the potential to increase viewership permanently. The 2024 NCAA women's championship received more viewers than any college or professional basketball game since 2019, demonstrating the growing popularity of the sport.
Despite this progress, women's basketball still faces challenges in terms of popularity and respect for its professional league. The NBA and WNBA Finals illustrate the disparity in popularity between men's and women's basketball, with the NBA attracting significantly larger audiences. This disparity is not due to a lack of competitiveness or skill in the women's game but rather a variety of factors, including the marketability and attractiveness of players.
The perception of women's basketball as less competitive has also been influenced by the historical lack of equitable sports coverage, funding, and care for women's sports. This has resulted in women's basketball being an afterthought, with players receiving few perks, endorsements, or big contracts. However, the recent success of women's basketball has opened floodgates, and it is now gaining well-deserved recognition.
To further increase the competitiveness and popularity of women's basketball, it is essential to address the underlying issues of inequality. This includes improving diversity in movies and TV, as well as ensuring equitable sports coverage, funding, and care for women's sports. By addressing these issues, women's basketball will continue to thrive and be perceived as equally competitive and exciting as the men's game.
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Frequently asked questions
Women's basketball is not inappropriate. However, it has historically received less coverage and funding than men's basketball. Women's basketball has been rising in popularity, with the 2023 NCAA women's championship game drawing more viewers than the men's game.
Men's basketball has historically been ingrained in popular culture as the default, with men's sports being viewed as the norm. This has resulted in men's teams building larger fan bases and receiving more exposure and funding.
Women in the WNBA have historically earned a fraction of what players on men's teams make. However, this may be changing as women's basketball gains popularity and well-known college players move into the WNBA.
One way to support women's basketball is to watch and attend games, creating a fanbase and demand for the sport. Additionally, advocating for greater diversity in sports coverage and funding can help bring much-needed visibility to female athletes and address gender inequality in sports.
