Every March, the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball championship meeting sets off a frenzy known as “March Madness” across the United States. Despite the event typically ending in April rather than March, who really cares? This year’s NCAA basketball tournament shines like a supernova in the American sports world, with all the stars aligning on their ideal trajectories, radiating dazzling brilliance.
Both the men’s and women’s tournaments were nothing short of classic. Fueled by the soaring popularity of star guard Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, the women’s tournament shattered television viewership records. The TV ratings for the last three games of the University of Iowa Hawkeyes exceeded those of each game of the World Series and the 2023 NBA Finals. Make way, professionals, for the rising star in the world of sports media!
The Caitlin Clark phenomenon has been the biggest news in the sports world this year. Even before the tournament’s TV ratings peaked, the hottest tickets in sports were the University of Iowa Hawkeyes’ women’s basketball games. Tickets were selling out quickly, with resale prices skyrocketing above face value. Clark’s captivating performance has been rarely seen, capturing the imagination of American sports fans in a manner akin to the legendary horse “Secretariat” winning millions of hearts in 1973 at the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes. Similar to “Secretariat” setting records for victories at those races, Clark has also set a series of records, many of which may stand for a long time.
Clark is the all-time leading scorer in college basketball history, encompassing both men’s and women’s divisions, and also the leading scorer in NCAA tournament history, again including both men’s and women’s divisions. Her three-point shooting prowess is unmatched among college players, leaving audiences in awe, with only a few NBA stars able to compete with her.
However, Clark is not just a shooter. She also holds the career assist record in the Big Ten basketball conference, creating opportunities for her teammates with brilliant passes. Clark’s outstanding performance has elevated interest in women’s basketball to unprecedented heights. What will be the long-term impact remains to be seen, but sports fans are eagerly anticipating it.
The Caitlin Clark effect has garnered significant media attention, understandably so. Yet, beyond that, this year’s tournament has been filled with compelling storylines. “March Madness” typically features captivating “Cinderella” stories, where lower-seeded teams upset higher-seeded teams in fairy tale-like fashion to advance to the Sweet Sixteen, and occasionally even the Elite Eight or Final Four. However, this year has seen more, with unexpected twists in the competition, notably North Carolina State University (NC State) men’s team surprisingly reaching the Final Four, creating an unprecedented scenario of both the men’s and women’s teams from two universities reaching the Final Four – namely NC State and UConn.
The teams reaching the championship games are no pushovers. In both the men’s and women’s tournaments, the title contenders include two top-seeded teams. In these games, the opposing sides are either nationally regarded as the best teams based on records – the men’s being the UConn basketball team and the women’s being the South Carolina basketball team – or possessing nationally acclaimed top players – Purdue University’s center Zach Edey for the men, and Caitlin Clark for Iowa in the women’s.
An often-debated question among sports enthusiasts is whether in team sports, it’s the best team that wins or the team with the best players emerges victorious. In both championship games, the answer is “the best team.” Both UConn men’s and South Carolina women’s teams employed targeted and intense defenses against Zach Edey and Caitlin Clark, respectively, so while these star players scored impressively, their points were not enough to secure wins. UConn and South Carolina had stronger lineups and more weapons, ultimately prevailing.
While Caitlin Clark’s stellar performance has been the most eye-catching individual story of the year, the best team story belongs to South Carolina. Dawn Staley, head coach of the South Carolina women’s basketball team, not only led her team to its tenth undefeated season championship in NCAA women’s basketball history but did so without a single returning starter from last year. This is truly remarkable! It demonstrates that Coach Staley had a strong bench lineup last year and has proven to have a deep bench this season. In fact, in the championship game, South Carolina’s bench players routed Iowa’s bench players 37-0. South Carolina only lost one starter during this year’s offseason, indicating they will likely be a formidable team next year as well.
Impressively, Coach Staley, in a post-game interview, praised Caitlin Clark from the opposing camp, shining with grace once again. It’s worth noting that it was Clark and her teammates who defeated South Carolina in the semifinals last year, denying them the 2023 championship, as they had secured victories in 2022 and this year. Despite last year’s loss surely being painful for Coach Staley, she generously acknowledged Clark’s greatness and expressed gratitude for how the star player has raised the profile of women’s basketball.
The 2024 NCAA women’s basketball tournament has concluded, and my biggest takeaway is the great allure of sports lies in the fact that every team and its fans will always have a chance to win the championship next year. Everyone is progressing, and opponents are gearing up. A highlight of this spring’s tournament was the LSU Tigers, the champions from last year, and the Iowa Hawkeyes, the runners-up, meeting again in the Elite Eight. This year, Iowa emerged victorious, achieving revenge and redemption. However, it’s a bittersweet moment for the Iowa Hawkeyes – in last year’s semifinals, they eliminated South Carolina, preventing them from a back-to-back championship and witnessing their opponents hoist the trophy in this year’s finals.
With the competition now wrapped up, the teams are entering the offseason reset phase: in the 2024-2025 basketball season, every team starts at 0-0, all positioned at the same starting line. Opportunities beckon to everyone. The hard work, preparation, planning, and strategies for the next season have already begun. Which two teams will appear on the stage of “March Madness” next year remains uncertain. What is certain is that they will put in every effort and be deserving of all the honors they achieve.