Women's college basketball has taken the sports world by storm over the past two years. Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is a huge fan of the sport and has a strong theory on why the interest in the sport is at an all-time high.
James believes that stars like Iowa's Caitlin Clark and LSU's Angel Reese have transformed the collegiate game.
"I don't think there's much difference between the men's and women's game when it comes to college basketball," James said in a post-game interview Wednesday night. "I think the popularity comes in with the icons that they have in the women's game. You look at Angel Reese, you look at JuJu [Watkins], you look at Caitlin Clark, you look at Paige [Bueckers]. You look at the young girl that's at Iowa State, the freshman there [Audi Crooks]. You look at [Cameron] Brink at Stanford. And that's just to name a few. And the freshman that's at Notre Dame [Hannah Hidalgo]."
As James alludes to, one of the biggest selling points is that women's college basketball stars can't immediately declare for the WNBA Draft. Players like Clark and Brink are seniors and are expected to be two of the top picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
"You're able to build a real iconic legacy at a program," James added. "And that's what we all love about it. That's what we all love. We love the girl's game because of that moment you actually get to see those girls [build to]. That's what makes the girl's Final Four and the Elite Eight so great."
The Women's Final Four starts Friday in Cleveland when No. 1 seed South Carolina takes on No. 3 seed NC State, while No. 1 seed Iowa will face No. 3 seed UConn. Some of the sport's top players, like Clark, Bueckers, and Kamilla Cardoso, are still alive in the NCAA Tournament and could be playing in the national title game.
