March Madness spotlight is shining on women

The guys are finally getting an idea of what it’s been like to be the women all these years.

March Madness kicks off next week, and all the buzz is squarely on the women’s NCAA tournament. The stars, the storylines, the spotlight – they’re all in the women’s game. Caitlin Clark is must-see TV, JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo are her heirs apparent, and the big question ahead of Selection Sunday is whether top-seeded South Carolina and LSU might fight, err, face each other again in the Final Four.

The men’s tournament? Well, they’re having one. Beyond that, there’s not a whole lot to say. Or see.

We watched Connecticut grind its way to the national title last year. We don’t need to watch it again. Zach Edey might be a wonderful human being, but he’s no Bill Walton. Or even Chet Holmgren. Outside of your alma mater, I dare you casual fans to name five other teams you’d sit down and watch.

“The women’s game is growing incredibly,” Jay Wright, who won two national titles at Villanova, said in a recent interview with USA TODAY’s Sports Seriously.

“This is one of those years,” Wright added, “that women’s basketball is really getting a lot more attention.”

And this is someone whose job is to analyze the men’s game for CBS Sports!

Wright isn’t wrong, however. Interest in women’s sports has grown rapidly over the last several years, and it’s been super-sized this college hoops season.

While much of the attention centers around Clark, who earlier this month passed Pete Maravich as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer, there’s been a spillover effect that’s led to blockbuster ratings, increased attendance and the kinds of debates and conversations that have traditionally been reserved for men’s sports.

Now here’s the point where some insecure man shouts, “Nobody cares about women’s sports!” or makes a crack about the “tens of people who watch.” But there’s data that shows just how wrong these knuckle-draggers are.