ALBANY, NY — It’s a game that needs no introduction.
You know the stars. Intrigue. Beef. What is at stake.
Back on Selection Sunday, as teams were placed in the incredibly crowded Albany 2 region, everyone saw it. They fell out of their chairs. And then they crossed their fingers.
The potential match that everyone has been noticing is now scheduled. And this game is so many things. Distilled to its most basic terms, it’s simple: Iowa and LSU. Caitlin and Angel. The payback.
Run. He. Back.
Iowa and LSU will meet in the Elite Eight on Monday, April 1 in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA women’s basketball title game.
Call it now, who wins this time? pic.twitter.com/6tZwWUpzok
– The Athletic (@TheAthletic) March 30, 2024
Of course, the path to a national title would require one to pass through the other. Maybe this game should have been later than the Elite Eight, but here we are – 40 minutes of LSU or Iowa cutting down a net and the other team boarding a long, leisurely flight home . A bit like their last meeting.
Less than a year ago, LSU and Iowa faced off in Dallas for the 2023 national championship. The Tigers won 102-85, catching fire from beyond the arc – which is not a typical trend for them – and giving the end of the tournament a magical feeling for everyone who saw it. The game – which set a television audience record, attracting 9.9 million viewers on ABC and peaking at 12.6 million – served as a barometer and benchmark for women’s basketball.
“You would never have thought that we would now be considered celebrities of a basketball game,” Angel Reese said. “Things happen so quickly; life comes so quickly. I’m happy with where we are and contributing to the development of women’s basketball, and I’ll look back in 40 years and know that we were pioneers.
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The title game underscored the fact that many in the sport have seen coming for decades: Women’s basketball is nearing a breaking point, one that has been precipitated by recent years of media coverage and conversation, but built by decades of powerful players and programs. and coaches. It showcased the immense talent of some of the game’s brightest stars. It sparked discussions about trash talk, media coverage, social issues and refereeing. This silenced some enemies and brought new ones into the game.
In short, women’s college basketball was treated as a legitimate sport.
Since then, LSU and Iowa have gone their separate ways, but have taken similar paths as the sport has continued to explode. They returned home and their players entered a new era in which glory is now part of the deal.
During the offseason, LSU hit the transfer portal hard. The Tigers signed two of the best players in the country: Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith. Morrow, a transfer from DePaul, watched that national title game at home in Chicago with her siblings and parents. Van Lith watched from his apartment in Louisville. Even then, Van Lith saw what was happening in the sport.
“Just the ability of the stars to shine and show everyone’s personality. Just looking at him, we knew people were going to become fans of women’s basketball,” Van Lith said. “It was a great game to watch. It was exciting to watch. Any basketball fan would have loved to watch this game. That’s when I said to myself, “We’re gaining ground here. »It’s great for us.
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When the 2023-24 season began, LSU and Iowa immediately sold out arenas. So did South Carolina, Virginia Tech, USC, NC State, Notre Dame, UConn and others. Increased attendance and television ratings, including viewership of the title game, led to a record deal signed in January between the NCAA and ESPN that valued the women’s NCAA tournament at $65 million per year, i.e. a tenfold valuation compared to the previous one. agreement.
En route to Albany, Iowa and LSU won games convincingly and lost games in devastating moments. Caitlin Clark and Reese are asked numerous times about their heritage. In each response, they say they want to make an impact on the next generation. They want little girls and boys to see them for who they are: elite athletes. They want people to see sport for what it is: exciting, intense, important.
And now, in what could be either of their final games at the college level (Clark has declared for the WNBA draft; Reese has not announced her intentions), their paths will cross at new.
Whatever happens in Albany on Monday night, this remains true: Reese and Clark brought the fans to the game. They helped develop the foundation and expand the reach of women’s basketball. They both stand on the shoulders of giants while paving the way for generations to come.
“It’s going to be a really good game for women’s basketball,” Clark said.
She’s right. These are the moments that move the sport forward. The stars, the players, the pieces. The intrigues, the drama. Monday night is just 40 minutes, 10 players and a basketball.
It’s also so much more.
(Photo by Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)