TAMPA, Fla. — Women’s college basketball has been on the rise these last few years, riding the wave of iconic players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins.
Now, with Clark and Reese in the WNBA, Bueckers headed to the league and Watkins sidelined for the foreseeable future with an ACL injury, it raises the question of who will pick up the torch and continue that momentum.
There may be no clear candidate to become the face of the game, though there’s no shortage of talented players, including UCLA’s Lauren Betts, UConn freshman Sarah Strong and South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards. And there are more looming on the horizon, like high school sensation Aaliyah Chavez will be making her collegiate debut at Oklahoma next season.
The ratings for the women’s NCAA Tournament leading into the title game Sunday didn’t match last year’s record numbers, though they were better than nearly every other year in NCAA history.
“It’s a great sign that without Caitlin we’re still certainly on the ascent,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said. “Hopefully, that’s the same even without the star power next year of Paige Bueckers and JuJu. The game is at place where it can still grow.”
The talent pool continues to get stronger, as was evident in the title game performances by Strong (24 points and 15 rebounds) and Edwards (10 points, five rebounds). As expected, both impacted the game though UConn came away with its 12th national championship, ending a nine-year drought with an 82-59 victory over South Carolina.
“Runs like this make you still feel relevant, you still have an impact. Kids still respond,” Huskies coach Geno Auriemma said. “Our coaching staff is really, really good at what they do. And I’m fortunate enough to coach great kids who want to win for each other.”
Even though UConn was back on top at the end, more teams showed this season they could compete with the best. UCLA, which held the No. 1 spot in the AP poll for 14 weeks, had no seniors on its team and coming off its first NCAA Final Four ever, could go a step further next season.
South Carolina will be back too with a young nucleus led by Edwards and MiLaysia Fulwiley.
“I’m excited for what our team will look like next year,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said. “I am, because I do think they’ll be talented enough to get here, especially with getting in the transfer portal and getting some experienced pieces that can help with this young group.”
Women’s basketball, like other college sports, has changed the last few years with the transfer portal. There are over 1,200 players currently in the portal, a person with access to it shared with The Associated Press.
Where some of those impact players — Olivia Miles, Cotie McMahon and Ta’Niya Latson — end up could not only shape which teams rise up to challenge UConn and South Carolina next season, but also which player separates herself from the rest.
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