Final Four (Photo from Google Images)
Friday night’s Iowa-UConn Final Four game had 14.2 million viewers. That’s more than any women’s college basketball game ever. More than every 2023 NBA Finals game and more than every 2023 World Series game. ESPN has had the rights to NBA games since 2002. But the Final Four game between Iowa and UConn was the networks most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, pro or collegiate EVER!
Bueckers
Don’t be like rednecks named Jared from Roanoke, VA who only watch two minutes of women’s basketball all year and think they know everything. Jared is OBSESSED with Paige Bueckers. Thank goodness for the block function on an Iphone. His sorry pale ass is in timeout for talking so much trash about Caitlin Clark being overrated and for thinking he can be disrespectful to me. He only knows Paige Bueckers form her highlight videos on YouTube.
Don’t get me wrong, Bueckers is a baller and no one will deny that. She was the it girl her freshman year at UConn and spent most of her sophomore year on the bench due to a right ankle surgery. The following year Bueckers took a redshirt year (sat out a year) due to a torn ACL in her left knee. She announced she will return to UConn for the 2024-25 season instead of declaring for the WNBA draft.
Bueckers plays for UConn, the most decorated team in Women’s college basketball. A program that is expected to win National Championships every year and is stacked with a roster of the top recruits in the world. They are a factory for producing WNBA talent. There is no doubt that Bueckers is a special player who is a star in the women’s game. For Jared to say that Caitlin Clark can ONLY shoot three-point shots is the most ignorant unforgivable level of disrespect to the game of basketball. Don’t be a Jared.
Foul
If you watched the Final Four or looked at social media you are well aware of the offensive foul called with 3.9 seconds left in a 69-70 game. However you may feel about the timing of the call with the game on the line, it doesn’t matter. The reality is that it was a textbook moving screen. (You have to watch it in slow motion to make it clear, but it was the correct call.) The story of the game should not be focused on an illegal screen (you can’t move during a screen) on UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, but on how UConn blew a 12-point lead in the Final Four. In the post-game press conference, Paige addressed the foul to the media like a pro. Unlike Geno, most of UConn fans, and social media, Paige didn’t blame the loss on ONE CORRECT CALL.
Conspiracy
The only conspiracy theory I will agree to is the Geno Auriemma karma. Geno hasn’t won a national title since he left Candace Parker off of the 2016 Olympic team. (Mom/Beka- Geno is UConn’s women’s head coach. You both know Candace Parker will forever be my favorite Lady Vol. In 2016, Parker was a two-time WNBA MVP and a three-time All-Star. Geno left her off of the team USA roster. Geno doesn’t like Candace therefore leaving her off of the roster was personal and intentional. Geno is no longer the coach for team USA.) Caitlin Clark also wanted to play at UConn out of high school and Geno never recruited her.
Capacity!
Don’t let the media fool you when you hear the cost of tickets prices between the men’s and women’s tournaments. I’m am women’s basketball fan, I LOVE that the game has continued to grow. I love that anyone who has watched basketball or has an internet connection knows Caitlin Clark’s name. But, when you hear the average ticket cost for the women’s games are triple (plus) the cost of the men’s they are leaving out the arena capacity.
The Women’s Final Four at Rocket Mortgage Field House in Cleveland Ohio has a capacity of 19,432. The cheapest ticket for Friday’s UCONN vs Iowa game (Section 215 row 8) was $391.00. For Sunday’s National Championship game, the cheapest ticket (Section 217 Row 16) is $456.00. (StubHub)
The Men’s Final Four at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona has a capacity of 63,400. The cheapest ticket for Saturday’s Alabama vs UCONN (Section 430, row B) was $100.00. For Monday’s National Championship game, the cheapest ticket (Section 433 row 22) is $170.00. (StubHub)
The men are playing in football stadiums (which seems awful for viewing live if you are anywhere above section 200). However, if you apply basic supply and demand math with logic you will have an abundance of seating capacity. Prices will be lower when you have 1/3 more of the seating capacity.
Rematch
Iowa will face South Carolina for the Women’s National Championship today at 3:00PM EST on ESPN and ABC. This rematch game is expected to break more viewing records although the game isn’t being played in primetime. The 37-0 Gamecocks are a 6.5-point favorite over the Hawkeyes. Last year, Iowa beat South Carolina in the Final Four and ended their 36-0 perfect season. It’s hard to bet against Dawn Staley and the Gamecocks, but it is easy to root for Caitlin Clark in her final game for Iowa.
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