By: Lucy Panicacci

Local News Editor

As someone who has played basketball for the last ten years, the societal belief that men’s basketball is more important than women’s basketball became clear to me at a very early age. I cannot count the number of times I heard people online, boys’ basketball players, or even my teammates state that boys’ basketball is simply more entertaining than women’s basketball. However, the 2024 Women’s March Madness Tournament marked the first time I witnessed nationwide support — not only from basketball fans, but from people who did not typically watch the game — for women’s basketball. With this kick-start of worldwide popularity, women’s basketball deserves continued attention and funding.

Women’s basketball has yet to fully reach its potential. In the last century, the sport faced numerous challenges and restrictions, setting it back from its male counterpart. Until 1972, girls’ basketball was strictly six-on-six; each team consisted of three forwards who played offense, and three guards who played defense. The guards could not cross the half court line to play on offense and the forwards could not cross half court to play defense. In the 1987 to 1988 collegiate season, the National Collegiate Athletic Association officially instituted three-point shots into women’s play. Moreover, the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) did not form until 1996. In contrast, the National Basketball Association (NBA) formed in 1949, 47 years earlier. Therefore, women’s basketball only reached a resemblance to the resources and rules of men’s basketball in the last thirty years. These restrictions limited the early development of women’s basketball, creating a difference between men’s and women’s play.

The 2024 March Madness Tournament embodied the growth of women’s basketball over the last decade. Star women players, including LSU’s Angel Reese, UConn’s Paige Bueckers, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, and most of all, Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, created record-breaking attention for the tournament. Clark shooting threes far beyond the three-point line and making high-IQ passes to teammates brought an unmatched level of ability. The championship game between Iowa and South Carolina achieved 19 million viewers, becoming the most-watched women’s college basketball game and beating the men’s final viewership by four million viewers. 

In order to continue the success displayed in the 2024 Women’s March Madness, women’s basketball needs continued attention and support. Even now, women’s basketball struggles with funding. Number one recruit Clark has a starting salary of 80,000 dollars in the WNBA, a massive pay disparity from the 10 million dollar starting salary of the top NBA pick. In the 2021 to 2022 season, our own Los Gatos High School women’s basketball team only had 16 girls, not enough to make a full varsity and junior varsity team. The success of the 2024 Women’s March Madness Tournament is not an anomaly. In order to maintain this excellence, fans should continue to view and support women’s basketball. 

(Sources: AP News, CNN, Forbes, NEH)