MINNEAPOLIS — To understand why women's college basketball is currently the hottest ticket in sports and shattering all-time viewership records, basketball Hall of Famer Lindsay Whalen says you need to start by looking at the product on the court.
"It's been a fun year, as a fan, to watch," Whalen said.
It's easy to point to several incredible performances on the court since last year's Final Four drew intense interest and attention. Caitlin Clark's chase for the all-time scoring record became appointment viewing, while South Carolina's pursuit of an undefeated season and Paige Bueckers' comeback with UConn have also generated compelling storylines.
But Whalen says what's happened off the court can't be overlooked either.
Lindsay Whalen: "I think teams and players have done a really good job of being accessible to fans and being really aware of their impact on the young eyes — and older eyes — that are watching them."
Kent Erdahl: "Funny you should mention that impact, because your impact, and your teammate's impact, on this generation of players has been well publicized. What does it mean to you to have heard Caitlin Clark, and Paige Bueckers talk about the impact you and your team had on them?"
Whalen: "Well, I guess, first and foremost, it means we're old. Honestly though, It's something that's really cool because I think when you're in those positions, when you're in those moments — like when we were with our Lynx teams and there would be a Title IX anniversary or a kids camp day — you're aware of it, but then to see it today... where it's like, okay, now those players are even more talented than we were. They are raising that game that much more."
Cheryl Reeve: "That's the beauty in all of this because they couldn't be where they are today without all of that happening."
To be clear, Coach Reeve isn't just talking about her Lynx teams. She's referring to every generation that helped raise the profile of women's sports.
That includes Margaret Chutich, who helped pave the way for others when she took full advantage of the opportunity provided by Title IX in 1974. After succeeding in high school, she went on to play college tennis at Minnesota and play basketball at Stanford.
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"You know, my friends came to watch, and some other people but I would say we had maybe 200 people in the gym when we played," Chutich said.
Chutich, who would later ascend to a much different court, as a Minnesota Supreme Court Justice, says she's thrilled to see how the growth of women's sports has also led to new careers and opportunities.
"When I played, I thought I was a student and this was a really fun thing to do, but there wasn't any future for any of those players at that time," she said. "Now they can play on the highest level. You know, the saying is if you can see it you can be it."
For years, Coach Reeve that visibility was the hardest part.
"The media coverage of women's sports has been really behind," she said. "I think the greatest thing is that people have marginalized us and said its not a major sport. Look at the ratings, they would point to these things. What are you going to point to now? The horse left the barn and we are only gonna keep growing."
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