The University of Connecticut’s Women’s Division 1 basketball team is on the precipice of dominance that is rarely achieved in major college sports. While some question if this is good for the sport, UConn’s reign at the top might be more impressive than ever when considering the proliferation of the women’s game that greater access and exposure aided by technology has created.
Get The Latest Sports Tech News In Your Inbox!
UConn is set to play Oregon State in the Final Four this Sunday April 3rd as they continue their quest towards a fourth straight NCAA National Championship. If they do win they would be come the first team to win four straight titles in the history of the sport. This may seem like an embarrassment of riches, especially when taking into consideration the average margins of victory and the fact that the program is currently on their second win streak of over 70 games, in the last 15 years. However some stars of women’s basketball see advancements in technology and exposure to the game providing greater potential for parity now than ever before, and the numbers bear this line of thought out.
“You have technology now that can help you figure out how to improve your shot. You don’t need to go to a certain place to get that kind of instruction. You can go to YouTube, watch on Instagram and try to mimic things.” Chiney Ogwumike, the 2014 WNBA No. 1 pick out of Stanford, who racked up too many collegiate accolades to mention, recently asserted. This season ESPN, across their family of networks, aired more live Women’s College basketball regular season games than ever before. The numbers also show that ratings were up 36% last year from the previous year.
Women’s basketball has never been more popular at the high school level and in turn it has never been more competitive to earn spot on a D1 team. As of 2012-13, the NCAA had 1,090 women’s basketball teams across all levels, the most of any sport, women’s or men’s. There are roughly 87 high school girls’ basketball players for every one spot on a Division 1 roster (only smaller chance of making roster is D1 Men’s Basketball). With more players than ever, top talent simply has to spread out, as there are not enough spots on any one team, which should foster greater competition.
FINAL: #UConn 86, @TexasWBB 65. The Huskies are headed to their ninth-straight Final Four! #Going4Eleven pic.twitter.com/k59Ig1Wi1w
— UConn Women’s Hoops (@UConnWBB) March 29, 2016
With a larger pool of players than ever before greater access to the sport and training from many outlets is something Ogwumike sees as positive. “I think at the grassroots level, kids have more access of how to develop their skills and stay dedicated to improving themselves in a way that’s different.”
The best players across the United States go to a more diverse group of colleges than they do in the men’s game. UConn’s last number one recruiting class came in 2012, and those great players make up the core of this team. Their 2016 class is ranked at number 14. However, even as top players go to a larger variety of schools and tournament upsets occur, there will be always be the possibility of a dominate team in sports.
During a time when recruiting is more competitive, and landing a spot anywhere at the D1 level is harder than ever as aided by greater exposure to the game via social media, cable and streaming TV, even at the high school level. The illustrious heights that this UConn team is reaching during a time of technology when training resources are more obtainable than ever is all the more impressive.