Women’s Basketball Is Evolving

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Molly Gie

The women’s basketball industry has developed impressively in recent years, a prime example of women’s sports flourishing.

Women’s sports is one of the most controversial topics in the athletic industry. There’s no doubt if you see an ESPN Instagram post about a woman, the comment section will be flooded with hateful remarks. Personally, I think the women’s sports industry continues to develop impressively every year, especially the basketball industry. It has emerged with fierce competitors, broken barriers, and inspired younger generations with these female athletes’ amazing achievements. Not to mention, they’re pretty entertaining to watch.

Women’s collegiate and professional basketball is especially important to me because I’ve grown up playing basketball. There are a few standout people that have drawn attention to the women’s basketball industry this past year. These young women have an undeniable amount of talent and it’s hard to ignore their incredible accomplishments. University of Iowa’s, Caitlin Clark, and Louisiana State University’s, Angel Reese, have been the stars of college hoops this year.

Caitlin Clark, from the University of Iowa’s women’s basketball team, put up historic numbers this past 22-23’ season during the women’s basketball NCAA tournament. She averaged 31.8 points per game, with two remarkable 40-point games. Clark’s dynamic playing style, deep shooting range, and ability to deliver in high-pressure situations have garnered her lots of attention from fans and media. She was the main reason her team made it all the way to the NCAA tournament championship vs. Louisiana State University. Her performances have not only captivated women’s basketball lovers but have also sparked conversations about all the talent and excitement women’s basketball offers. I tuned in to the big game, excited to see what incredible performance Clark would put on.

Angel Reese is widely known for her electric attitude and energy on the court and her ability to dominate on both offense and defense. Reese averaged 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds this past 22-23’ season. She played alongside teammate Flau’jae Johnson, another popular and very talented player. These two were the main attractions on LSU’s women’s basketball team and they had the media constantly w

With much anticipation, April 2nd was the day that a record-breaking 9.9 million viewers tuned in to watch Iowa and LSU face off for the March Madness championship ring. The stadium was packed and fans were cheering loud during the whole game. Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese put on a show as they trash-talked to each other a couple of times throughout the game. In the end, LSU came out on top and won the game 102-85. Social media instantly blew up on platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, and Twitter after the game talking about Reese and Clark’s “beef”. Both Iowa and LSU put on a show and I loved watching them compete. I’d consider this past year of women’s basketball legendary as it’s really put women’s athletics more on the map and it’ll only continue to get better from here.