By BROOKLYN BROWN
One Feather Reporter
The University of South Carolina (USC) 87-75 victory over the University of Iowa in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Women’s National Basketball Championship was the most watched basketball game – professional or collegiate, men’s or women’s – since the 2019 NCAA Men’s National Championship University of Virginia victory over Texas Tech University averaging 19.6 million viewers. It was also the most watched women’s basketball game of all time with a peak viewership of 24 million and an average of 18.7 million viewers.
Cherokee’s Whitney Rogers (#32) plays focused defense in the NCHSAA 1A State Championship game against East Columbus. FINAL SCORE: Cherokee 74 East Columbus 32. (BROOKLYN BROWN/One Feather photo)
In the post-game press conference of the women’s national championship, USC Head Coach Dawn Staley gave a shoutout to college basketball’s all-time leading scorer and Iowa guard Caitlin Clark.
“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Staley said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport, and it is not gonna stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA [Women’s National Basketball Association] draft. She’s gonna lift that league up as well. So, Caitlin Clark if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs [Greatest of All Time] of our game. We appreciate you.”
Names like Caitlin Clark, Louisiana State University post player Angel Reese, and USC’s Raven Johnson who locked down Clark in the national championship with phenomenal defense, have globally dominated social media. Reese announced her entry in the WNBA draft through an exclusive interview with Vogue.
We have entered a new era of women’s basketball, and the Cherokee Lady Braves are a part of that.
The Cherokee High School Lady Braves won the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) 1A State Basketball Championship in Winston-Salem on March 15 for the second time in school history.
NBA stars Julius Erving and Shaquille O’Neal tuned in online to watch the Lady Braves secure the victory. National Public Radio (NPR) recently released a podcast covering the win. The Lady Braves were recognized at halftime of the Charlotte Hornets home game versus Oklahoma City Thunder, posing center court with NBA star Muggsy Bogues.
The Lady Braves win was more than a state championship—it was a heat wave through the Appalachian Mountains in the storm that has become women’s basketball. The Lady Braves cemented themselves in history once again by becoming an ongoing part of a women’s basketball revolution, and it is exciting to witness.
