Standing under the bright lights were some of the most viewed basketball players in the world.
They didn’t play professionally, and they weren’t men.
The talent that came with the women’s college basketball playoffs this year brought loads of attention.
The women’s college basketball championship had 4 million more viewers than the men’s championship.
This support was revolutionary for the sport because women’s basketball has never gotten as much attention as they are now.
The main reason for this was Iowa Senior Caitlin Clark.
Clark, along with other extremely talented players like UConn Player Paige Bueckers and LSU Player Angel Reese.
Many fans were extremely impressed by her performances, drawing them to the league. Similarly, the Sunnyslope Varsity Girls Basketball team had more support than ever before, especially from the boys’ team.
They made it to the Elite 8, which hasn’t happened in decades, according to Head Coach Kristin Clyder.
This got them lots of support from many parents, teachers, students, and even other teams.
“At the beginning of my career… I thought everything had to be perfect,” Iowa Women’s Basketball Star Caitlin Clark said.
This year, Clark’s team had more support than ever before; she was recognized as the best shooter in the league.
“It always relied on my shooting; over the course of my career, I’ve been the one to realize I’m not gonna be perfect every game,” Clark said.
The Iowa Senior recognizes that she still has room for growth, regardless of her talent.
Similarly, Sunnyslope Freshman Jackie Wentworth saw room for growth on her talented team here.
“We worked hard to get better and to reach all our goals every day,” Wentworth said.
Both teams had incredible leaders that led them to victory.
“Coach Kristen Clyder worked tirelessly to get us the attention we deserved,” Wentworth said. Similarly, the Iowa team had an incredible coach and role model, Lisa Bluder.
“I hope we were role models [and]… inspired little kids everywhere,” Iowa player Gabbie Marshall said in a press conference.
Both teams had so much support, more than ever before.
“I try to set my teammates up for success,” Clark said.
Both teams not only worked hard for what they achieved, but were noticed and gained a ton of support.
Clearly, both teams worked very hard as they made it far in the season and received tons of support as they went on their journeys.