In the past, the women’s game has had its fair share of stars. Names like Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, and Candace Parker are synonymous with the WNBA and being the cream of the crop. Three years ago, a girl from Iowa changed everything. Caitlin Clark’s stardom reached a height no other women’s player has ever reached. She plays the game of basketball like another male superstar who transformed the game - Stephen Curry. Clark launches 3s from 22, 25, 30, and sometimes even 40+ feet. The public caught on and immediately, all eyes were on Clark. 

Iowa and Clark made runs to the National Championship in 2023 and 2024 but came up short both times. In 2023, Iowa faced LSU in the title game, which drew 16.1 million viewers, according to Walt Disney. In 2024, Iowa took on South Carolina for the championship, and viewership increased to 18.9 million according to Nielsen. By the end of her career at Iowa, she had surpassed all other women’s basketball players before her and was the most anticipated WNBA draft pick ever. 

Yet even before she got to the league, some would say she was in the middle of a battle of hero vs villain. At LSU, Angel Reese was notorious for her bold comments, aggressive style of play, and trash talking. Reese had made comments about Clark and Iowa, and met up with in the 2023 National Championship as well as the 2024 Elite 8. The Tigers beat Clark’s Hawkeyes the first time, but Iowa defeated them the following year in a game that drew 12.4 million viewers, according to NYT. This was the start of society framing the two superstars against each other. It has carried over to the WNBA and is a huge reason these two women became as popular as they are. The two most watched games of the WNBA season were when the Indiana Fever (Clark’s team) and the Chicago Sky (Reese’s team) faced each other, says NYT. 

Clark’s 2024 WNBA draft amassed a record-breaking 2.5 million viewers, up 4x from 2023 according to ESPN. According to NBC, when Caitlin Clark was drafted her Indiana Fever number one jersey became the top-selling for any draft pick (male or female). This record was later broken by Caleb Williams of the Chicago Bears in the NFL draft, but was a testament to how many millions of people she had struck a chord with. 

Even though Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese are out of college, there is no shortage of women’s superstars still in the game. The two names at the top are the University of Southern California's (USC) JuJu Watkins, and the University of Connecticut's (UConn) Paige Bueckers. 

As a junior in high school Watkins became the first woman to sign with Klutch sports group, LeBron James’ representatives, according to USA Today. According to Forbes, she signed with another LeBron James brand the same year, Nike. Watkins has attached herself to the biggest sports apparel brand and the most well-known sports agency, signaling she knows how to market herself as a star. This was proven in 2024, as she was named the best NIL athlete according to Sports Business Journal. She has been the recipient of numerous awards on the court, including Big Ten POTY, and PAC-12 Freshman of the year (Sports Reference).  Unfortunately, Watkins tore her ACL in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, resulting in her end to the season. 

Similarly to Watkins, Paige Bueckers has preserved through injuries in her decorated collegiate career. She debuted for UConn on December 12, 2020 and was described as the most hyped recruit since Breanna Stewart (The Athletic). After her star freshman year injuries plagued her during the 2021-2022 and 2022-2023 season. Even with the spotlight on her from a young age, she has lived up to her famous nickname “Paige Buckets.” This nickname has helped her stardom thrive into what it is today. Before even leaving college Bueckers’ nickname has her up there amongst the elite in women’s basketball. Some examples are Candace “Ace” Parker, Jewell “Gold Mamba” Lloyd, and Breanna “Stewie” Stewart. 

Bueckers became the first woman since 1976 to win the John Wooden award, according to ESPN. This landed her a 6 figure deal with StockX, a community marketplace in the streetwear world. On top of all her stardom off the court, she just recently capped off an incredible senior season with a national championship. She is the favorite to go number one overall and join the Dallas Wings. One of the main reasons Bueckers is so famous is because of her longevity in college. The world didn’t discover Caitlin Clark or Angel Reese until their last two years of school, meanwhile eyes have been on Bueckers since late 2020. This gives fans a chance to get to know her as well as time for her to develop her star identity. 

Moving to the WNBA, there are several superstars that have garnered national attention with one of those being Sabrina Ionescu. Last year’s NBA All-Star game saw the New York Liberty guard go head-to-head with the best male shooter of all time, Stephen Curry. The two squared off in the 3 point contest, the first NBA vs WNBA matchup of its kind. According to The Sporting News, the game drew 5.4 million viewers and public opinion grew tremendously regarding the WNBA. It was an extremely successful event and people now want to see Caitlin Clark compete in the contest. Although Steph ended up winning, scoring 29 to Sabrina’s 26, this competition proved women’s basketball deserves to be up there with the best of the mens. 

The women’s game will not always have Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, or JuJu Watkins consistently in college, but the talent pool is better than ever. Over and over clips spiral on social media showcasing the immense talent in basketball.Overall the combination of women’s players on the national stage is prevalent now more than ever. There is a balance now between the traction of both mens and women's stars.