The women’s version of March Madness has been exciting for a long time, but it’s always played second fiddle to the men’s tournament, which for decades has been one of the most thrilling major sporting events on the calendar.
Not so in 2024. And it wasn’t just because of Caitlin Clark, the Iowa superstar.
This was a Final Four for the ages. South Carolina, Iowa, Connecticut and North Carolina State all were singularly great teams, with their own identities, playing styles and marquee stars.
The contests themselves were pulsating affairs, featuring incredible shooting and passing and, yes, ill-timed mistakes. The crowds were electric. Everything needed to make a tournament like this special was in abundance.
We have to admit that, while the men’s Final Four has been its usual spectacle, this year it’s taken a backseat to the women. (As we write, Purdue and Connecticut have yet to play, so we’ll reserve final judgment in case we get a stone-cold classic.) The women’s tourney was just that good.
The phenomenal interest in the final weekend of the women’s tournament (which translated into unprecedented TV ratings) could well catapult the WNBA to new heights. Only those of a certain age will remember, but the NBA wasn’t a healthy league in terms of broad interest before Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered as rookies in 1979 following an NCAA final for the ages between the two of them, playing for Michigan State and Indiana State, respectively.
Clark will enter the WNBA next season, and so will Louisiana State’s Angel Reese and South Carolina’s 6-foot-7-inch center Kamilla Cardoso, rightfully named the tourney’s most outstanding player. Many fans newly captivated by women’s hoops surely will be curious to see these stars with whom they’re now so familiar.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, herself a past WNBA great, said it well after her undefeated squad vanquished Clark and Iowa for the championship. She graciously thanked Clark for all she’d done for the sport and knowingly acknowledged the burden now thrust on someone entrusted with so much responsibility for the future of the game.
“Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you’re one of the GOATs of our game,” Staley said, reflecting the view of millions of fans. “We appreciate you.”
This isn’t a one-off either. There were incredible players who didn’t even get to the Final Four. Watch for USC’s JuJu Watkins next year. She’s a marvel too.
