Dawn Staley and Lisa Bluder want to capitalize on the growing popularity of women’s basketball

In the wake of NCAA Tournament success, coaches Dawn Staley of South Carolina, winner of the 2024 championship game, and Lisa Bluder of Iowa are advocating for increased financial backing for women’s basketball programs, citing the sport’s growth and revenue-generating potential.

As the NCAA women’s tournament unfolded with record viewership and fan engagement, a long-standing issue has resurfaced with a fervent call for action from two of the game’s most respected coaches.

The crux of their message: It’s time for women’s basketball to be recognized for its financial contributions and for the teams to be rewarded accordingly.

NCAA President Charlie Baker has indicated that unit distribution, a financial reward system similar to that of the men’s tournament, is targeted to begin in the 2024-25 season.

Currently, women’s programs do not receive such benefits, a discrepancy that has drawn criticism and sparked debates about equality.

Staley, a vocal advocate for the game’s value, stressed the significance of the revenue generated during the NCAA tournament, pointing out the $170 million that the 68 women’s teams could share.

“You look at what the 68 teams are going to divide up, I think I saw $170 million between the 68 teams,” Staley said per Andre Adelson of ESPON.

“When you start bringing in revenue like that, it will move your campus in a different direction when it comes to women. So we’ve got to fight for that.”

Lisa Bluder agrees with Dawn Staley

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Bluder echoed Staley’s sentiments, questioning the delay in implementing unit distribution and pushing for a faster pace in effecting these changes, emphasizing the need to capitalize on the current momentum and growth of the game.

“I know we’re going to get units coming up here pretty soon. That can’t come soon enough,” Bluder said. “Why are we waiting to put that in? Let’s do it now. Why wait? I think change has to happen a little bit quicker than what — they want to move.”

The proposed change comes on the heels of a lucrative new eight-year contract with ESPN for broadcasting rights, which prominently includes women’s basketball. The move is seen as an acknowledgment of the sport’s rising profile and as a direct consequence of the increased financial benefits the tournament brings.

While the finance committee of the NCAA has marked the 2024-25 season for this rollout following the ESPN deal, further discussions and a full Division I membership vote are necessary to iron out the distribution details.

The push for financial support is not without merit.

Record-breaking viewership numbers, such as the 14.2 million who tuned in for the Elite Eight game between UConn and Iowa, and unprecedented attendance for the tournament’s early rounds, are indicative of a sport on the rise.

It suggests that women’s basketball is not only growing but is a significant player in the collegiate sports landscape.

Numbers haven’t been released yet for the title game between South Carolina and Iowa, but it is expected that it will also break viewership records.

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UConn’s Geno Auriemma explains why he didn’t recruit Caitlin Clark

Just about every college basketball team would be ecstactic to have Caitlin Clark playing for them.

The Iowa Hawkeyes star is the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, but predicting that when she was in high school would have been pretty bold.

Three other players were ranked higher than her in her high school class — Paige Bueckers, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink.

Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies speaks with Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes after the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament at the Alamodome March 27, 2021, in San Antonio. (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)

Reese and Brink committed to Maryland and Stanford, respectively, and while Clark stayed home to play with the Hawkeyes, UConn landed Bueckers, the top player of the class.

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said he didn’t recruit Clark, and he had his reasons.

“I committed to Paige Bueckers very, very early, and it would have been silly for me to say to Paige, ‘Hey listen, we’re going to put you in the backcourt, and then I’m going to try really hard to recruit Caitlin Clark.’ I don’t do it that way,” Auriemma said earlier this week, via CT Insider.

Hindsight is 20/20.

Bueckers missed a season with a torn ACL, while Clark’s resume speaks for itself. The two will face each other in the Final Four Friday night.

Despite Clark raving about UConn, saying it’s the “coolest place on earth,” Auriemma made it seem like Clark wasn’t seriously eyeing the Huskies.

Head coach Geno Auriemma of the UConn Huskies reacts during the first half against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament at Climate Pledge Arena on March 25, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

“Caitlin is obviously a tremendous player, a generational player. But if Caitlin really wanted to come to UConn, she would have called me and said, ‘Coach, I really want to come to UConn,’” he said.

“Neither of us lost out. She made the best decision for her, and it’s worked out great. We made the decision we thought we needed to make.

“There are a lot of great players we see coming through high school, thousands of them. You’re only going to recruit some. You’re not going to recruit all of them. Some people do recruit all of them, I don’t. I try to lock in on who fits us,” Auriemma added.

“We try to lock in on them early, and that’s what happened to us and Paige. We felt really, really comfortable with that, and we went with it. Those are decisions that are made every day, every year, by every coach.”

Caitlin Clark of the Iowa Hawkeyes cuts down the net after beating the LSU Tigers 94-87 in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament at MVP Arena April 1, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The top-seeded Hawkeyes lost the national championship to LSU last year, but they got their revenge in the Elite Eight. UConn, meanwhile, is in its 23rd Final Four and its 15th in the last 16 tournaments and looking for its 13th national title.

The Huskies haven’t won since their fourpeat from 2013 to 2016.

The UConn vs. Iowa NCAA Final Four game was overshadowed by a contentious offensive foul call favoring Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes.

A video uploaded to X provides the optimal angle to assess the legality of Aaliyah Edwards’ screen.

Following a UConn timeout, Aaliyah Edwards positioned herself to set a pick on the wing for Paige Bueckers, aiming to create an opportunity for the game-winning jumper.

However, Edwards was called for a moving screen with just 3.9 seconds remaining. This turnover granted possession to the Hawkeyes, who maintained control until the final buzzer, resulting in a 71-69 loss for the Huskies.

“I wasn’t given an explanation,” Edwards said after the loss. “There was no real time to get an explanation. From my point of view, it was pretty clean.”

LeBron James reacts to Iowa-UConn ending

With Iowa up by one point and only a couple of seconds left, Aaliyah Edwards was called for an offensive foul for a moving screen. LeBron James and many others reacted in a stunned manner.

It was a questionable call that ended up deciding the outcome of the game.

Paige Bueckers had received the ball and had time to make a play. She may have ended up missing her shot, but we weren’t able to find out.

It’s a call that will be talked about for a while, particularly if Clark and Iowa end up beating South Carolina in the final game. It shouldn’t taint their legacy, but it would to some fans.

For Iowa, Clark’s remarkable season culminates in the final game, as she aims to conclude her record-breaking career with a national championship.