In the vast world of women’s basketball, athletes such as Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers are making waves in the media in unprecedented ways. The game they play is not just about scoring points or making highlight reels; it’s about captivating their audience and inspiring a whole new generation in the process. With their skills on the court and personalities off it, the two are changing basketball in their own unique way. From NCAA to the WNBA, Clark and Bueckers are shining a spotlight on women’s basketball like never before, and the world is finally taking notice.
“The Caitlin Clark Effect” has taken the media, especially social media, by storm. With Clark’s domination on the court, she attracts celebrities and pros alike. For her team’s Senior Day game, in which she became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, celebrities such as Travis Scott came to show their support for the young basketball icon. Even legendary players such as Lebron James took to X, congratulating Clark on her record. Social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram have Clark booming with popularity, her name consistently trending and appearing in their algorithms. Edits, analysis and reports on her play from these platforms bring a staggering amount of attention to womens’ basketball as a whole.
Former Team USA U-19 teammate Paige Bueckers has also gathered a swarm of fans in recent months due to her passionate play at one of the nation’s best basketball schools, the University of Connecticut. Bueckers not only managed to steal the hearts of the young generation largely on TikTok, she also was able to earn the respect of people within the basketball community and out. As the NCAA finally began allowing collegiate athletes to profit off their brands in 2021, Bueckers (and Clark) were able to establish relationships and partnerships with companies such as CashApp, where she was able to launch her own charitable organization, The Paige Bueckers Foundation. She has used her platform to popularize womens’ basketball again and shed light on those who do not have the same privileges she has to gain the opportunities she is currently taking. Her collaboration with StockX has also been notable due to the fact that her campaigns have shown incredible diversity and inclusion.
Even prior to her social media fame, Bueckers has spoken out on racial bias, especially in the context of sports. After winning Best College Athlete in Womens’ Sports at the ESPY Awards back in 2021, she used her acceptance speech to bring attention to black women in basketball.
“With the light that I have now, as a white woman who leads a Black-led sport and is celebrated here, I want to show a light on Black women. They don’t get the media coverage that they deserve,” said Bueckers.
These two major figures in womens’ basketball have sent the number of viewers of the sport skyrocketing. The UConn vs. Iowa game starring Bueckers and Clark broke ESPN records for streams, at around 17.3 million viewers, becoming ESPN’s most streamed basketball game on record.
The representation of womens’ sports in recent years has increased significantly, and though mens’ sports are generally more popular in the media, numbers of viewers for womens’ athletics have been climbing. Togethxr, a company and platform founded by iconic female athletes, Alex Morgan, Chloe Kim, Simone Manuel, Sue Bird and Jessica Robertson, strives for this exact goal: to give women equal opportunities in sports.
Togethxr, similar to the rest of the internet, has set out headlines highlighting Bueckers and Clark.
“UConn goes as far as Paige Bueckers takes them.”
“This is why Caitlin Clark’s game will translate to the WNBA.”
Strong, media-present female athletes are the people who are taking womens’ athletics to the next level. Because of players like Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers, the NCAA has concluded that the womens’ March Madness title game of 2024 surpassed the mens’ streams.
“For the first time, the women’s title game drew more viewers than the men’s, averaging 18.7 million viewers on ABC and ESPN and peaking at 24 million viewers.”
With each dribble and play, Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark are not only dominating the court but also driving meaningful progress towards recognizing the immense contributions of women in sports. The acknowledgement is long overdue, and the confidence and undeniable skill of these star athletes is what brings attention back to their sport.
