Women's Final Four couldn't be Northeast Ohio-bound at a more ample time | Opinion
Apr. 5—As the old adage goes, timing is everything.
Coming off one of the most consequential women's basketball NCAA tournaments in history, with LSU making a fairly unexpected run to the crown, Northeast Ohio's timing couldn't be better.
Because next year — however it materializes — the Final Four is going to be a lot of fun.
And should you choose to take advantage of the opportunity, it'll be right in our own backyard.
For the second time ever and first since 2007, the Women's Final Four will be coming to Cleveland in 2024 at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on April 5 and 7.
It comes amid a moment when women's college basketball has a strong base of returning standouts who aren't WNBA-bound after this past season.
Of course, there are the names that have become familiar in the mainstream at this point.
Iowa's Caitlin Clark and her range seemingly from anywhere in the gym.
LSU double-double machine Angel Reese.
A healthy and dynamic Paige Bueckers at UConn after her recent injury misfortune.
Louisville's Hailey Van Lith and her fearlessness and smooth all-around game.
But it's also the names the mainstream may not know quite as well yet: Cameron Brink at Stanford. Kamilla Cardoso at South Carolina. Aaliyah Edwards and Azzi Fudd at UConn. Rickea Jackson at Tennesee. Elizabeth Kitley and Georgia Amoore at Virginia Tech. Cotie McMahon and Jacy Sheldon at Ohio State. Olivia Miles at Notre Dame. Alissa Pili at Utah.
Indeed, the women's game has never been a better product on the court and so marketable off it.
During this year's Women's Final Four, new NCAA president Charlie Baker spoke about media rights for the tournament. Next season, coincidentally, will mark the end of ESPN's $34 million contract with the governing body to air all Division I championships beyond football and men's basketball.
"Basically, this thing is going out this year and it's going out on the heels of what will have been the most successful tournament," Baker said, via ESPN. "Let's see what the market thinks it's worth. I think the market is going to think it's worth a lot."
According to that ESPN story, an independent study found that the rights to the women's basketball tournament could be worth up to $112 million on its own by 2025.
The Iowa-South Carolina semifinal, in which Clark and the Hawkeyes stunned four-time All-American Aliyah Boston and the Gamecocks, giving them their first loss of the season, was a ratings powerhouse. The game drew an average of 5.5 million viewers, with a peak of 6.6 million, and marked a 72% year-over-year improvement.
The LSU-Virginia Tech semi drew 3.4 million viewers and was a 66% increase.
#WFinalFour across ESPN platforms to become the most-viewed #NCAAWBB semis (4.5M avg viewers) in ESPN history
@IowaWBB vs. @GamecockWBB — 5.5M viewers — Peak: 6.6M
@LSUwbkb vs. @HokiesWBB — 3.4M viewers — Peak: 5M
2 most-viewed games ever on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/qHD3VtYp3F
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 1, 2023
The national championship game between LSU and Iowa, which was a heck of a clash other than officiating that was universally panned, brought in an average of 9.9 million viewers, with a 12.6 million peak and a 103% increase. It shattered the prior record for most viewed NCAA women's tournament game.
That's an incredible sports viewership number.
. Record-breaking #NationalChampionship thriller between @LSUwbkb & @IowaWBB makes TV history:
Most-viewed #NCAAWBB game on record
Up 103% YOY
Peaked at 12.6M
Most-viewed college event ever on @ESPNPlus pic.twitter.com/UZLVNuP3Sf
— ESPN PR (@ESPNPR) April 3, 2023
Women's college basketball has always been a tricky dynamic with its broader appeal and the makeup of the tournament itself.
There is an audience for it, as those viewership totals clearly indicate. There is a chance to increase that audience.
But when the argument is made, it suddenly brings in a chorus of those adamantly opposed to watching it.
Then don't watch it. Believe what you want. Say whatever you choose. That's fine.
Maybe those who are being courted, though, are the ones open to actually giving it a shot, not the most fervently against its very existence.
By the way, that whole "controversy" with trash talking and attitude during this women's tournament? Spare me.
The players involved were right in that those elements are essentially celebrated components in the men's game. But Reese points to her ring finger, her and Clark exchange John Cena-esque "you can't see me" hand gestures and Van Lith riles up opponents by being mouthy within the game, and it's not treated equally. Stop it.
Applaud it or lament it. But apply a similar standard for both.
The women's tournament had also had an issue through the years with the bracket being "chalky" — i.e. predictable to the extent of there being almost no early-round upsets and two or three teams likely being the champion.
This year? LSU was a 3-seed.
Granted, that was in part because Kim Mulkey, the Tigers' bold and brash coach who led Baylor to three national championships, wasn't sure what she had in her second season in Baton Rouge with a revamped roster. LSU was filled with newcomers, Reese included transferring in from Maryland, so the Tigers' nonconference schedule was unusually subpar.
But two 1-seeds (Stanford and Indiana) being out by the Sweet 16. "New blood" such as Ole Miss, Colorado, Miami (Fla.), Utah and Ohio State making the sweet 16 or elite eight. Five double-digit seeds getting out of the opening round. A final without 1s. A 3-seed champion.
That is notable progress in the women's tournament and speaks to its improved quality across the board.
When the Women's Final Four was last in Cleveland in 2007, the field was North Carolina, Tennessee, LSU and Rutgers. That featured a great Lady Vols team led by Candace Parker winning another title for Pat Summitt.
That tournament had reach, but it's not unfair to assume this Final Four in 2024 will have a scope and appeal that exceeds that 2007 Final Four by a country mile.
It'll be a win-win for all involved.
Cleveland has shown it can host events of magnitude. Its establishments and hotels will rake in profit with the women's basketball world converging on the city with a strong product.
Young girls and young women locally can head downtown and will no doubt be inspired seeing first-hand the development of the game and the quality of the action and its star power, however that manifests itself.
That will help spur the game locally for years to come.
As the old adage goes, timing is everything.
For women's college basketball — and for Northeast Ohio — the timing could not possibly be better.
Bring on 2024.
