Intersport is relaunching an annual women's college basketball All-Star event with the first set for April 2024. Players who are exhausting their college eligibility will be invited to represent their programs one more time during the Final Four weekend in Cleveland.
The event is taking place at Cleveland State University and is tentatively scheduled for April 6, the day between the semifinals and championship game. Teams will be determined by a selection committee made up of women's basketball experts and other leaders in the industry.
"Women's basketball deserves this platform to celebrate these athletes and their accomplishments, and we're excited to provide a stage for the nation's best to come together at the Women's College All-Star Game," Intersport CEO Charlie Besser said in a statement.
Intersport had already launched the inaugural Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) All-Star Challenge in 1998, but it only lasted through 2006. Now, Besser said, the world of sports seems more ready to embrace it and therefore they expect more success.
The 2023 championship game between Iowa and LSU drew 9.9 million viewers, becoming the most-watched women's college basketball game ever, according to ESPN. That momentum seems to be going strong for the upcoming season. Just a few days ago, Iowa smashed the women's college basketball attendance record with an exhibition game at Kinnick Stadium that drew over 55,000 fans.
"Fans have shown a strong and growing interest in women's sports, demonstrated most recently through attendance at major events and in television viewership," Besser said. "Reviving the Women's College All-Star Game, which we founded in 1998, is a meaningful experience for these great players and also a unique opportunity for college basketball fans to see the best all in one place."
