LeBron James explains rising women's college basketball, compares it to men's NCAA / News - Basketnews.com

Iconic legacy vs. early entry: LeBron James reflects on differences in men's and women's college basketball.

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The rise of women's basketball has been phenomenal this season, largely attributed to the exceptional talents of emerging stars such as Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink, Paige Bueckers, Aliyah Boston, and numerous others.

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Their impressive performances have garnered widespread attention, drawing in a growing audience to women's basketball games. Even top NBA players, including Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, have taken notice.

He believes the popularity of the women's NCAA tournament this year compared to the men's is the "icons" involved in the women's game.

"I think the popularity comes in is the icons that they have in the women's game," James said of the increasing popularity.

"You look at Angel Reese, you look at JuJu [Watkins], you look at Caitlin Clark, you look at Paige [Bueckers], you look at the young girl that's in Iowa State, the Freshman [Audi Crooks], you look at [Cameron] Brink, I believe her last name is at Stanford, and that's just the name a few. The freshman that's at Notre Dame [Hannah Hidalgo]."

To be eligible for the WNBA Draft, a player must meet certain criteria: they must be at least 22 years old during the draft year, have graduated or be set to graduate within three months from a four-year university, or have attended a four-year university where their original class would have graduated or will graduate within three months of the draft.

"They are not allowed to go to the WNBA, I think. They have to stay all four years. ... You were able to build like a real iconic legacy at a program, and that's what we all love about it," James noted. "That's what we all love, and we love the girls' game because of that moment.

"It's a different time between men and women, and men could come out. If I had a big a** season in my first year of college, I'm going to the league. But JuJu, she can't come out. If she could, you think she might. Maybe. But that's the difference."

2-pointers this season

57%32,1Points made:32,1Accuracy:56,6%Place in standings:3Record max:45Record min:19Most made 2FGs:Anthony DavisTeamNBAStatisticsSchedule

The NCAA, the organizer of collegiate sports in the US, recently achieved a historic milestone with record-breaking viewership for a single game in women's college basketball during its annual Division 1 Women's College Basketball Tournament.

In an "Elite Eight" (quarter-final) clash between the top-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes and the third-seeded LSU Tigers, an average of 12.3 million viewers tuned in on ESPN on Monday (April 1).

This marks the highest average viewership ever recorded for a women's college basketball game, surpassing the previous record set in 1983 when 11.84 million viewers watched the national championship game on CBS.

The matchup, fueled by the rivalry between Iowa's standout prospect Caitlin Clark and LSU's star player Angel Reese, reached its peak broadcast audience at 16.1 million viewers.

"The girls always play the game the right way -- passing and cutting, sharing the ball, and they're definitely getting on the floor for loose balls. That's their nature," James said.

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