SEATTLE — The women’s NCAA basketball tournament is bringing in new viewers and fans to women’s sports.
Rough and Tumble Pub, a bar dedicated to women’s sports, was packed Friday with fans watching the NCAA 2024 Women’s Final Four.
“When you go here, everyone is into it; everyone is cheering and feeling the same thing,” said Michael Knodel, an Iowa Hawkeye fan.
Friday brought in regular fans and some newer ones to women’s basketball.
“We went to the games last year, and it was electric watching them play, so we're excited to root for them this year in the final four,” said Molly Cowen, a University of Iowa fan.
“I became a fan kind of late in the game because of Caitlin Clark,” said Sara Love.
Caitlin Clark is one of the star players helping to skyrocket interest in women’s basketball.
A game Bailey Nettleton has been playing since she was five.
“She’s one of a kind. She’s a generational athlete, and I feel like you don't see that every day. Everyone is drawn to her because you don't see something like her perform the way she does,” said Bailey Nettleton, a high school basketball player at Tahoma High School.
The numbers back that up. Last week’s Iowa vs. LSU game reached a record 12.3 million people.
It is a historic moment for players like Brooke Deyak to see their sport get the recognition it deserves.
“People haven’t really tuned into women’s basketball, we know how much we love it. All the girls know but people just haven’t really respected it until now and it takes a great player like Cailtin Clark to show people this is actually fun to watch,” said Deyak, a basketball player for Tahoma High School.
A phenomenon players and fans hope continues.
“If my grandpa back home is watching Iowa basketball that means something is happening with women’s college basketball,” said Cowen.