Latest news with #ClarkMania
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Can the Indiana Fever win the WNBA championship? Caitlin Clark thinks so
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark wasn't born when Kelly Krauskopf began working for Indiana's WNBA expansion franchise. In July 1999, Krauskopf became employee No. 1 for the state's first major professional women's sports team, hired as the chief operating officer to put a face on a franchise without a name. A native Texan, Krauskopf had never been to Indianapolis before. She helped decide the team name, the Fever emblem and red and gold colors. Even once their brand identity was decided, friends would ask, 'What's the logo on that shirt?' It's safe to say that over the past year of Clark Mania, Krauskopf no longer fields such questions. The franchise hasn't recorded a winning season since 2015, but those goals have changed, too. 'What we're experiencing is really special,' Krauskopf said. Advertisement 'We want to be a team like the Houston Comets, like the Minnesota Lynx, that's able to put multiple banners in our arena,' added Fever coach Stephanie White, referencing two historic four-time champions. 'We're willing to do what it takes to position ourselves to do that.' Houston won four straight titles from 1997-2000, and the Lynx won championships four times between 2011-2017. Indiana won the title in 2012 and reached the finals again three years later, but had five single-digit-win seasons between 2017 and 2022. The Fever understand the organization is a long way from establishing a dynasty, but they're explicit about how they hope this season will end. Clark's definition of 2025 success is simple: 'A championship.' The Fever have a loyal and growing fan base that's clamoring for a trophy. After drafting Clark with the No. 1 pick last season, Indiana set league records for television ratings, Clark merchandise is among the highest-selling among athletes in any sport, and road arenas sell out when the WNBA's version of the Beatles comes to town. Advertisement But the Fever, who open their season Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis against the Chicago Sky, don't just want to be known. They want to win. Indiana lost in the first round of last season's playoffs, but that still was an improvement, considering its postseason appearance ended a seven-year drought. Already expectations have shifted. Entering this season, the Fever have one of the league's four-best title odds, bunched with battle-tested franchises like the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx — who competed in last season's WNBA Finals — as well as the Las Vegas Aces, who won titles in 2023 and 2024. The favorable odds are built on a few pieces of evidence: Clark appears ready to build on her All-WNBA first-team rookie season. She spent much of the offseason developing her game but also focusing on getting stronger. Aliyah Boston, the Fever's No. 1 pick in 2023, looks to make a third All-Star team in as many seasons. Re-signing guard Kelsey Mitchell was Indiana's top offseason priority and an All-Star nod this summer would mark her third straight appearance as well. The Fever also used offseason free agency to bolster its roster with veteran leadership. 'The growth plan was accelerated with the talent of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and where they are,' said Krauskopf, who returned as the Fever's team president this fall after spending the last six seasons as assistant general manager for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. 'There was an opportunity to continue building around those two and Kelsey.' Advertisement 'Why are we waiting? What are we waiting on?' Krauskopf asked rhetorically. The Fever's moves prove they aren't. Mitchell, the franchise's No. 2 pick in 2018, admits patience was required during Indiana's doldrums. But the Fever's front office helped Mitchell feel valued, as did Clark and Boston, who remained in contact with the All-Star throughout the winter, even as Mitchell played in China. Indiana also signed three experienced former WNBA champions: wing DeWanna Bonner, forward Natasha Howard and guard Sydney Colson. Sophie Cunningham, a 3-and-D wing, and forward Brianna Turner, an athletic rim protector, played in the 2021 WNBA Finals with the Phoenix Mercury. Advertisement The Fever also invested in its coaching and resource staffs. After parting with Christie Sides in the offseason, they quickly moved to hire White, who coached Indiana to the 2015 finals and was an assistant on the Fever's 2012 title team, from the Connecticut Sun. Two Indiana assistants (Briann January and Karima Christmas-Kelly) played on that championship roster. In many respects, what's old is new again in Indiana. 'We have a tradition of winning,' said Krauskopf, who selected White in the 2000 expansion draft. 'We have a tradition of doing things the right way and now we're at the next phase of that.' The question is whether the Fever can get to the top without forming postseason scars together first. On the November day White was reintroduced as Indiana's coach, Clark squeezed in a workout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Occasions for celebration are not necessarily occasions for off days. Advertisement Clark, who calls herself a 'big routine person,' spent the offseason making a habit of being in the gym. She often booked an 8 a.m. slot inside Gainbridge's practice court, impressing team executives with her consistency amid all the non-basketball commitments weaved into her schedule. On those mornings, Clark regularly executed on-court drills with Fever staff before moving into the weight room four times a week. She prioritized getting stronger, using Olympic lifting and segmenting lower and upper body work. She incorporated isometrics to train how she handles muscle tension and plyometric exercises, focusing on short, explosive movements to build muscle power. Improving her balance and muscle mass was critical, knowing opponents will continue to be physical with her. Connecticut knocked Indiana out of last year's playoffs, and upon diving into their work together this winter, Clark asked White to share the scouting reports White used for the Sun to guard her. White and the Fever's development coach noticed discrepancies between Clark's shot location depending on whether she attacked left or right. But they immediately keyed in on Clark's posture. They observed she was sometimes too upright when dribbling, when she was too far forward or back on her heels. In their first workout together, balance and ballhandling were the focus for 35 minutes. Clark, who holds the WNBA single-season assist record, said: 'I've never done so much ballhandling in my life.' Advertisement 'She doesn't waste time. She doesn't waste reps,' White said. 'One day, one drill, and then the next day, move on. It's a coach's dream. There's not a lot of players like that.' Clark now knows what a full season will feel like for her body. She and the Fever hope that knowledge — and offseason work — pays dividends. Clark entered her rookie season in a whirlwind, drafted eight days after she led Iowa to the 2024 national championship game. She jumped into training camp three weeks after that, then Indiana opened its season with 11 games in 20 days. Clark dove into it head first, living out of a hotel as she adapted to her new surroundings. 'It was a lot to take in, it came at me fast, but I'm also really grateful for that experience too,' she said. A year later, Clark is grateful the Fever brought in new players, and the Fever's front office appreciates Indiana's core helping get them into town. Clark, Boston and Mitchell talked to veteran forward Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA champion whom the Fever drafted in 2014, who joined from the Wings. They also talked with Bonner, a two-time WNBA champion who followed White from the Sun. 'I loved (Clark's) engagement in it all,' general manager Amber Cox said. 'I think about my team in Phoenix with Diana (Taurasi), it reminds me a lot of that. That level of investment in this franchise, and what we want to build here.' Said Clark: 'How lucky are we to have such a good roster and so many people that wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves?' Advertisement White spent the offseason as one of ESPN's NBA broadcasters. As part of her assignments, she chatted with head coaches, including Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson and Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daignault. Both NBA clubs leaned on roster depth en route to No. 1 playoff seeds in their respective conferences, intriguing White by how they used deep benches around star players. 'Those two teams really look a lot like our team,' White said. White picked their brains on lineup management. How to talk to players who might believe they deserve more playing time. How to manage rotations and maintain buy-in. Listening and honesty are key, she learned. 'Not being afraid to have the hard conversations,' White said. The Fever enter the season with one of the WNBA's deepest rosters. Handling personalities, and lineups, will be vital to their success. By the All-Star break, which Indiana will host, White hopes to have more rotation clarity. The Fever used different starting lineups in each of their three preseason games. 'Unity' was a theme in the Fever's first training camp meeting as White implored players to become tight-knit. She stressed sacrifice and asked players to star in their roles, even if they differed from what they're used to. Despite the scrutiny and spotlight on the Fever, she told them nobody should be able to poke holes in the locker room. 'That's one way to go down, and we don't want to go down,' Boston said. Advertisement Building trust will be paramount for the Fever. Players have relished watching Pacers playoff games together. White and Clark are hoop junkies, and they frequently text about NBA game situations, including one recent exchange about the value in practicing intentional late-game free throw misses. As White maneuvers the rotational chess board, creating constructive habits is also top of her mind. 'There's the blessing and the curse of where we are,' she said. 'We can't focus so much on (a championship) being the end-all be-all, that we have to win it this year, that we aren't controlling the daily things that it takes to make sure that we position ourselves for that. 'Expectations can't bog us down and keep us from being our best. We have to maintain perspective.' Advertisement Even though this season's Fever haven't been through a playoff run as a collective unit, Bonner said each player's past experiences can make up for the lack of collective scar tissue. She has already been texting nuggets about leadership to the Fever's player-only group chat and sharing tidbits about footwork and defense. She is optimistic they can come together at the season's most important juncture. The Fever hope small steps lead to compounding success. But the grandest of reminders is in plain sight: Clark has seen White's 2012 Fever championship ring in her coach's office. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Indiana Fever, WNBA, Sports Business 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
16-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Can the Indiana Fever win the WNBA championship? Caitlin Clark thinks so
INDIANAPOLIS — Caitlin Clark wasn't born when Kelly Krauskopf began working for Indiana's WNBA expansion franchise. In July 1999, Krauskopf became employee No. 1 for the state's first major professional women's sports team, hired as the chief operating officer to put a face on a franchise without a name. A native Texan, Krauskopf had never been to Indianapolis before. She helped decide the team name, the Fever emblem and red and gold colors. Even once their brand identity was decided, friends would ask, 'What's the logo on that shirt?' Advertisement It's safe to say that over the past year of Clark Mania, Krauskopf no longer fields such questions. The franchise hasn't recorded a winning season since 2015, but those goals have changed, too. 'What we're experiencing is really special,' Krauskopf said. 'We want to be a team like the Houston Comets, like the Minnesota Lynx, that's able to put multiple banners in our arena,' added Fever coach Stephanie White, referencing two historic four-time champions. 'We're willing to do what it takes to position ourselves to do that.' Houston won four straight titles from 1997-2000, and the Lynx won championships four times between 2011-2017. Indiana won the title in 2012 and reached the finals again three years later, but had five single-digit-win seasons between 2017 and 2022. The Fever understand the organization is a long way from establishing a dynasty, but they're explicit about how they hope this season will end. Clark's definition of 2025 success is simple: 'A championship.' sophomore season coming 🔜 #NowYouKnow Caitlin Clark — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 14, 2025 The Fever have a loyal and growing fan base that's clamoring for a trophy. After drafting Clark with the No. 1 pick last season, Indiana set league records for television ratings, Clark merchandise is among the highest-selling among athletes in any sport, and road arenas sell out when the WNBA's version of the Beatles comes to town. But the Fever, who open their season Saturday afternoon in Indianapolis against the Chicago Sky, don't just want to be known. They want to win. Indiana lost in the first round of last season's playoffs, but that still was an improvement, considering its postseason appearance ended a seven-year drought. Already expectations have shifted. Entering this season, the Fever have one of the league's four-best title odds, bunched with battle-tested franchises like the New York Liberty and Minnesota Lynx — who competed in last season's WNBA Finals — as well as the Las Vegas Aces, who won titles in 2023 and 2024. Advertisement The favorable odds are built on a few pieces of evidence: Clark appears ready to build on her All-WNBA first-team rookie season. She spent much of the offseason developing her game but also focusing on getting stronger. Aliyah Boston, the Fever's No. 1 pick in 2023, looks to make a third All-Star team in as many seasons. Re-signing guard Kelsey Mitchell was Indiana's top offseason priority and an All-Star nod this summer would mark her third straight appearance as well. The Fever also used offseason free agency to bolster its roster with veteran leadership. 'The growth plan was accelerated with the talent of Caitlin Clark and Aliyah Boston and where they are,' said Krauskopf, who returned as the Fever's team president this fall after spending the last six seasons as assistant general manager for the NBA's Indiana Pacers. 'There was an opportunity to continue building around those two and Kelsey.' 'Why are we waiting? What are we waiting on?' Krauskopf asked rhetorically. The Fever's moves prove they aren't. Mitchell, the franchise's No. 2 pick in 2018, admits patience was required during Indiana's doldrums. But the Fever's front office helped Mitchell feel valued, as did Clark and Boston, who remained in contact with the All-Star throughout the winter, even as Mitchell played in China. Indiana also signed three experienced former WNBA champions: wing DeWanna Bonner, forward Natasha Howard and guard Sydney Colson. Sophie Cunningham, a 3-and-D wing, and forward Brianna Turner, an athletic rim protector, played in the 2021 WNBA Finals with the Phoenix Mercury. The Fever also invested in its coaching and resource staffs. After parting with Christie Sides in the offseason, they quickly moved to hire White, who coached Indiana to the 2015 finals and was an assistant on the Fever's 2012 title team, from the Connecticut Sun. Two Indiana assistants (Briann January and Karima Christmas-Kelly) played on that championship roster. In many respects, what's old is new again in Indiana. Advertisement 'We have a tradition of winning,' said Krauskopf, who selected White in the 2000 expansion draft. 'We have a tradition of doing things the right way and now we're at the next phase of that.' The question is whether the Fever can get to the top without forming postseason scars together first. On the November day White was reintroduced as Indiana's coach, Clark squeezed in a workout at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Occasions for celebration are not necessarily occasions for off days. Clark, who calls herself a 'big routine person,' spent the offseason making a habit of being in the gym. She often booked an 8 a.m. slot inside Gainbridge's practice court, impressing team executives with her consistency amid all the non-basketball commitments weaved into her schedule. On those mornings, Clark regularly executed on-court drills with Fever staff before moving into the weight room four times a week. She prioritized getting stronger, using Olympic lifting and segmenting lower and upper body work. She incorporated isometrics to train how she handles muscle tension and plyometric exercises, focusing on short, explosive movements to build muscle power. Improving her balance and muscle mass was critical, knowing opponents will continue to be physical with her. Connecticut knocked Indiana out of last year's playoffs, and upon diving into their work together this winter, Clark asked White to share the scouting reports White used for the Sun to guard her. White and the Fever's development coach noticed discrepancies between Clark's shot location depending on whether she attacked left or right. But they immediately keyed in on Clark's posture. They observed she was sometimes too upright when dribbling, when she was too far forward or back on her heels. In their first workout together, balance and ballhandling were the focus for 35 minutes. Clark, who holds the WNBA single-season assist record, said: 'I've never done so much ballhandling in my life.' Advertisement 'She doesn't waste time. She doesn't waste reps,' White said. 'One day, one drill, and then the next day, move on. It's a coach's dream. There's not a lot of players like that.' Clark now knows what a full season will feel like for her body. She and the Fever hope that knowledge — and offseason work — pays dividends. Clark entered her rookie season in a whirlwind, drafted eight days after she led Iowa to the 2024 national championship game. She jumped into training camp three weeks after that, then Indiana opened its season with 11 games in 20 days. Clark dove into it head first, living out of a hotel as she adapted to her new surroundings. 'It was a lot to take in, it came at me fast, but I'm also really grateful for that experience too,' she said. A year later, Clark is grateful the Fever brought in new players, and the Fever's front office appreciates Indiana's core helping get them into town. Clark, Boston and Mitchell talked to veteran forward Natasha Howard, a three-time WNBA champion whom the Fever drafted in 2014, who joined from the Wings. They also talked with Bonner, a two-time WNBA champion who followed White from the Sun. 'I loved (Clark's) engagement in it all,' general manager Amber Cox said. 'I think about my team in Phoenix with Diana (Taurasi), it reminds me a lot of that. That level of investment in this franchise, and what we want to build here.' Said Clark: 'How lucky are we to have such a good roster and so many people that wanted to be a part of something bigger than themselves?' White spent the offseason as one of ESPN's NBA broadcasters. As part of her assignments, she chatted with head coaches, including Cleveland Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson and Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daignault. Both NBA clubs leaned on roster depth en route to No. 1 playoff seeds in their respective conferences, intriguing White by how they used deep benches around star players. 'Those two teams really look a lot like our team,' White said. White picked their brains on lineup management. How to talk to players who might believe they deserve more playing time. How to manage rotations and maintain buy-in. Listening and honesty are key, she learned. 'Not being afraid to have the hard conversations,' White said. The Fever enter the season with one of the WNBA's deepest rosters. Handling personalities, and lineups, will be vital to their success. By the All-Star break, which Indiana will host, White hopes to have more rotation clarity. The Fever used different starting lineups in each of their three preseason games. Advertisement 'Unity' was a theme in the Fever's first training camp meeting as White implored players to become tight-knit. She stressed sacrifice and asked players to star in their roles, even if they differed from what they're used to. Despite the scrutiny and spotlight on the Fever, she told them nobody should be able to poke holes in the locker room. 'That's one way to go down, and we don't want to go down,' Boston said. Building trust will be paramount for the Fever. Players have relished watching Pacers playoff games together. White and Clark are hoop junkies, and they frequently text about NBA game situations, including one recent exchange about the value in practicing intentional late-game free throw misses. As White maneuvers the rotational chess board, creating constructive habits is also top of her mind. 'There's the blessing and the curse of where we are,' she said. 'We can't focus so much on (a championship) being the end-all be-all, that we have to win it this year, that we aren't controlling the daily things that it takes to make sure that we position ourselves for that. 'Expectations can't bog us down and keep us from being our best. We have to maintain perspective.' Even though this season's Fever haven't been through a playoff run as a collective unit, Bonner said each player's past experiences can make up for the lack of collective scar tissue. She has already been texting nuggets about leadership to the Fever's player-only group chat and sharing tidbits about footwork and defense. She is optimistic they can come together at the season's most important juncture. The Fever hope small steps lead to compounding success. But the grandest of reminders is in plain sight: Clark has seen White's 2012 Fever championship ring in her coach's office. (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic; photos of Stephanie White, Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell: Andrew J. Clark, Matthew Holst, Jeff Haynes / Getty Images)
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jennings: Without JuJu Watkins, the show goes on. Expect women's March Madness to deliver
Jennings: Without JuJu Watkins, the show goes on. Expect women's March Madness to deliver So much had been heaped on JuJu Watkins from the start — from the moment she set foot on USC's campus, she was the one who would bring the program back to the mountaintop. This season, she was the player who would carry the star power in women's college basketball in the wake of Caitlin Clark. It was a lot of weight on anyone's shoulders, but she handled it well. She thrived under that responsibility and blossomed in the spotlight. Advertisement But last weekend, the biggest star in women's college basketball was carried away after collapsing to the court with a season-ending ACL tear. Her absence has left USC fans stunned and the women's college basketball world restless. Salt in the wound? Commercials featuring Watkins will continue playing during the NCAA Tournament. She's the biggest individual star in women's college hoops right now, drawing red-carpet-like turnout from celebrities at her games in the Galen Center. That reception would have boomed with a Final Four trip or national championship as an undeniable Hollywood storyline. While prayers rained on Los Angeles for Watkins' recovery, questions bubbled up: What now? now? Advertisement It's a fair question. And it echoes the refrain women's basketball was asked repeatedly after last season, when Clark departed for the WNBA. Would her legions of fans and millions of viewers who set records watching her play for Iowa stick around for the 2024-25 college season? Nobody expected this season's tournament to match the record-setting viewership of last season, but progress can't be measured just in year-to-year gains. And while no one expected the numbers to quite reach the fever pitch of Clark Mania a season ago, the trend continues in one direction: upward. The first two rounds of the tournament featured no Cinderellas, no major upsets, no Clark. They were light on the dramatics that some believe necessary to attract viewers. And yet, the numbers don't lie — ratings from the first two rounds ranked second best in tournament history, coming in at 43 percent higher than in 2023, which now stands as the third-best year in tournament history viewership. As generational as Clark was, the game has still shown momentum in her wake. With Watkins absent over the rest of this tournament, as large as that will loom, there's no reason to think the sport isn't strong enough to continue. Advertisement Because this question isn't new. Many forget that before Clark captivated the country, Paige Bueckers was doing the same. A UConn star as a freshman, she won the national Player of the Year in 2021 and became an early darling of the name, image and likeness era. Then, she tore her ACL and missed an entire season, leaving questions about how the sport would endure without its new prodigy who filled arenas. It was in Bueckers' absence that Clark and Angel Reese emerged, overflowing that void to bring even more interest to the game and push the sport to higher horizons, culminating in one of tournament history's most epic showdowns. Last season, South Carolina's undefeated campaign was led by coach Dawn Staley, who's among sports' most influential figures. The Gamecocks were tested by Clark's dazzling displays, drawing viewership ratings that dwarfed even 2023's high standards. When Bueckers was out, Clark and Reese answered. Bueckers had done the same after Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu went to the WNBA. And fans were similarly skeptical about a lack of star power when Maya Moore graduated from UConn. Advertisement The women's game has proved time and again — especially in these last few seasons — that it will produce. Luminaries will emerge and captivate basketball fans. Perhaps the answer is not as obvious as it was a week ago, when the nation's best player was leading a resurgent program with a national following and instant recognition on a must-see journey. Similar to the reactions Clark, Moore and others before them inspired, coaches were simultaneously vexed trying to stop them but appreciative to what they did for the game. Sometimes, it's easier to see the growth from within. If there's a coach who can attest to the value of players such as Watkins and their impact on the sport, it's UConn's Geno Auriemma. He has seen more phenoms up close than anyone else, many who became so beloved they could be referenced by their first names (or initials) alone: Sue, Dee, Maya, Stewie. Advertisement When the ESPN broadcast wrapped its coverage Monday from UConn's second-round win after Bueckers scored 34 points, Auriemma sat courtside in Storrs for an interview. He was asked to answer quickly so the broadcast could flip to the USC-Mississippi State game starting on the West Coast. 'Oh, man, get off me right now, let's get to her. I want to watch her play,' Auriemma said with a smile. 'Here comes JuJu. Give me some JuJu! … Over to you, JuJu, take over!' Coaches respect great players; game respects game. (If only the latter had some mercy for knees.) So what next? Who now? That's what the next two weeks will decide. But if the past tells us anything, it's that the women's tournament will deliver. The most elite talent is still in the game. Every No. 1 seed (UCLA, South Carolina, USC and Texas) and No. 2 seed (UConn, NC State, Duke and TCU) remains in the field, and three No. 3 seeds (Notre Dame, LSU and Oklahoma) are left standing. The spotlight is trained back on Bueckers, and as previous tournaments have taught us, even casual viewers will become new fans of the game's best players. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson and UCLA's Lauren Betts have been exemplary all season, and new young players are poised to surprise us. Advertisement In Spokane and Birmingham, the show goes on. Nets will be cut. New stars will be made and crowned, and more familiar stars will shoulder a heavier load. A Watkins-less USC is not the same as it once was, nor is a Watkins-less tournament. But the greatest testament to Watkins' greatness and star power is that even in her absence, the sport she's helping to build will continue to grow. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. USC Trojans, Women's College Basketball, Opinion, Women's NCAA Tournament 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
27-03-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Jennings: Without JuJu Watkins, the show goes on. Expect women's March Madness to deliver
So much had been heaped on JuJu Watkins from the start — from the moment she set foot on USC's campus, she was the one who would bring the program back to the mountaintop. This season, she was the player who would carry the star power in women's college basketball in the wake of Caitlin Clark. It was a lot of weight on anyone's shoulders, but she handled it well. She thrived under that responsibility and blossomed in the spotlight. But last weekend, the biggest star in women's college basketball was carried away after collapsing to the court with a season-ending ACL tear. Her absence has left USC fans stunned and the women's college basketball world restless. Some kind words for JuJu Watkins 🥹 — espnW (@espnW) March 25, 2025 Salt in the wound? Commercials featuring Watkins will continue playing during the NCAA Tournament. She's the biggest individual star in women's college hoops right now, drawing red-carpet-like turnout from celebrities at her games in the Galen Center. That reception would have boomed with a Final Four trip or national championship as an undeniable Hollywood storyline. Advertisement While prayers rained on Los Angeles for Watkins' recovery, questions bubbled up: What now? Who now? It's a fair question. And it echoes the refrain women's basketball was asked repeatedly after last season, when Clark departed for the WNBA. Would her legions of fans and millions of viewers who set records watching her play for Iowa stick around for the 2024-25 college season? Nobody expected this season's tournament to match the record-setting viewership of last season, but progress can't be measured just in year-to-year gains. And while no one expected the numbers to quite reach the fever pitch of Clark Mania a season ago, the trend continues in one direction: upward. The first two rounds of the tournament featured no Cinderellas, no major upsets, no Clark. They were light on the dramatics that some believe necessary to attract viewers. And yet, the numbers don't lie — ratings from the first two rounds ranked second best in tournament history, coming in at 43 percent higher than in 2023, which now stands as the third-best year in tournament history viewership. As generational as Clark was, the game has still shown momentum in her wake. With Watkins absent over the rest of this tournament, as large as that will loom, there's no reason to think the sport isn't strong enough to continue. Because this question isn't new. Many forget that before Clark captivated the country, Paige Bueckers was doing the same. A UConn star as a freshman, she won the national Player of the Year in 2021 and became an early darling of the name, image and likeness era. Then, she tore her ACL and missed an entire season, leaving questions about how the sport would endure without its new prodigy who filled arenas. It was in Bueckers' absence that Clark and Angel Reese emerged, overflowing that void to bring even more interest to the game and push the sport to higher horizons, culminating in one of tournament history's most epic showdowns. Last season, South Carolina's undefeated campaign was led by coach Dawn Staley, who's among sports' most influential figures. The Gamecocks were tested by Clark's dazzling displays, drawing viewership ratings that dwarfed even 2023's high standards. Advertisement When Bueckers was out, Clark and Reese answered. Bueckers had done the same after Oregon's Sabrina Ionescu went to the WNBA. And fans were similarly skeptical about a lack of star power when Maya Moore graduated from UConn. The women's game has proved time and again — especially in these last few seasons — that it will produce. Luminaries will emerge and captivate basketball fans. Perhaps the answer is not as obvious as it was a week ago, when the nation's best player was leading a resurgent program with a national following and instant recognition on a must-see journey. Similar to the reactions Clark, Moore and others before them inspired, coaches were simultaneously vexed trying to stop them but appreciative to what they did for the game. Sometimes, it's easier to see the growth from within. If there's a coach who can attest to the value of players such as Watkins and their impact on the sport, it's UConn's Geno Auriemma. He has seen more phenoms up close than anyone else, many who became so beloved they could be referenced by their first names (or initials) alone: Sue, Dee, Maya, Stewie. When the ESPN broadcast wrapped its coverage Monday from UConn's second-round win after Bueckers scored 34 points, Auriemma sat courtside in Storrs for an interview. He was asked to answer quickly so the broadcast could flip to the USC-Mississippi State game starting on the West Coast. 'Oh, man, get off me right now, let's get to her. I want to watch her play,' Auriemma said with a smile. 'Here comes JuJu. Give me some JuJu! … Over to you, JuJu, take over!' Geno counting down the broadcast and then tossing it to JuJu telling her to 'takeover' >>>> — Tyler DeLuca (@TylerDeLuca) March 25, 2025 Coaches respect great players; game respects game. (If only the latter had some mercy for knees.) So what next? Who now? That's what the next two weeks will decide. But if the past tells us anything, it's that the women's tournament will deliver. The most elite talent is still in the game. Every No. 1 seed (UCLA, South Carolina, USC and Texas) and No. 2 seed (UConn, NC State, Duke and TCU) remains in the field, and three No. 3 seeds (Notre Dame, LSU and Oklahoma) are left standing. The spotlight is trained back on Bueckers, and as previous tournaments have taught us, even casual viewers will become new fans of the game's best players. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo, LSU's Flau'Jae Johnson and UCLA's Lauren Betts have been exemplary all season, and new young players are poised to surprise us. Advertisement In Spokane and Birmingham, the show goes on. Nets will be cut. New stars will be made and crowned, and more familiar stars will shoulder a heavier load. A Watkins-less USC is not the same as it once was, nor is a Watkins-less tournament. But the greatest testament to Watkins' greatness and star power is that even in her absence, the sport she's helping to build will continue to grow.
