Bombs away

I suspect there was a time when the Sunday between the Final Four on Saturday and the NCAA Championship game on Monday was pretty much considered dead time.

At least it was in my house.

But I'm guessing elsewhere, too.

I was a men's basketball snob. As a sports writer for The Dispatch, I covered men's basketball in the Atlantic Coast Conference for years, and then watched the men almost exclusively on television when I wasn't watching the ACC. 

In my defense, I don't think my snobbishness wasn't all my fault. I mean, when did ESPN start covering women's basketball on a regular basis? I rest my case.

Iowa's Caitlin Clark in practice.

Anyway, one March a few decades ago, looking for something to watch on that dead Sunday afternoon, I tuned into the women's NCAA final. I'm pretty sure it was Tennessee against somebody, and the scales fell from my eyes.

Pat Summitt was an intelligent coach. These women could run plays. They could knock each other over in the paint. And most impressively, they could hit consistently from the perimeter. Maybe even better than the men.

I figure it was pretty much Summitt and her Volunteers that brought women's basketball into national prominence. She posted a career record of 1,098-208 (.841) and won eight national titles.

At about the same time, the University of Connecticut was flexing its muscles under coach Geno Auriemma, further enhancing the women's game. Auriemma, still an active coach at age 70, has a career record of 1,213-162 record (.882) and 11 national titles. 

All of which brings me to today's championship game between Iowa and South Carolina. Interest in women's college basketball has never been higher than it is now, and a large part of that is due to Iowa's Caitlin Clark, who's swishing bombs from the logos on the court. Clark recently became the overall career Division I scoring leader – men or women – and she comes into today's game with 3,921 points. Whoa.

More than 14 million viewers watched Iowa defeat UConn 71-69 on Friday and I'm guessing that number could be even higher today. 

I have a feeling that South Carolina, undefeated this year under coach Dawn Staley (37-0), might have the better overall team. That's why I think the Gamecocks will win the title. But Clark will put on a show, and that's why the game might be the most watched women's game ever.

I'll be watching, too.