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<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Atlanta Dream selected <keyword id="13391713" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="naz-hillmon" source="Orion">Naz Hillmon</keyword> in the second round of the 2022 <keyword id="13568780" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba-draft" source="Orion">WNBA Draft</keyword>.</li><li>The <keyword id="13604844" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="michigan-wolverines" source="Orion">Michigan Wolverines</keyword> superstar was widely expected to be picked among the top of the draft class.</li></ul>Naz Hillmon was a two-time first-team All-America selection and a four-year superstar for the Michigan Wolverines.But when it came time for the 6-foot-2 forward to move on to the pros, her incredible collegiate success didn't translate to the early draft pick many expected.The Atlanta Dream selected Hillmon with the third pick of the second round of the 2022 <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> Draft. Though she was still one of the lucky 36 to hear her name called during Monday night's festivities, Michigan's only player — man or woman — to ever accumulate 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds was <a href="https://twitter.com/herhoopstats/status/1513626582065295364">widely expected to be picked</a> among the top of the draft class.<div type="image" title="Michigan's Naz Hillmon grabs a rebound." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90805990" hostid="261"></div>But when asked during her post-draft press conference if she was disappointed about dropping down the draft boards, Hillmon managed to keep everything in perspective. She offered a heartfelt tribute to the 72 eligible athletes who weren't offered a chance to join a WNBA franchise at all."I think that being disappointed in this moment is neglectful to the people who weren't picked up at all," Hillmon said as tears welled in her eyes. "This has been a dream of mine for a very long time. So just being picked up by a team, for somebody to believe in me, first round, third round, I'm excited to be where I'm at."Fans were wowed by the star's poised, considerate response.Even still, the Wolverines' all-time leader in rebounds, double-doubles, and made free throws allowed that her later-than-expected selection will serve as fuel as she moves on to the pros."Everything is motivation," Hillmon said. "I could have been picked No. 1 and I still would have been motivated to get better, to perfect my craft. I wouldn't say disappointed, but always ready to work."Check out the clip of Hillmon's thoughtful response below:

A college superstar offered a heartfelt response when asked for her thoughts on dropping in the WNBA draft

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The 2021 <keyword id="11932023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ncaa" source="Orion">NCAA</keyword> tournament was marred by controversy following the weight room scandal.</li><li>Social media posts revealed disparities between the resources at the men's and women's tourneys.</li></ul>With increased parity across the board, bigger stars emerging each season, and more coverage of the sport itself, the women's NCAA tournament has been steadily making gains.But in 2021, focus shifted from the hardwood to the weight room as <keyword id="12832958" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="march-madness" source="Orion">March Madness</keyword> was embroiled with controversy.Thanks to a video shared on social media by Oregon Ducks star Sedona Prince, blatant disparities between the resources offered to athletes at the men's and women's tournaments were broadcast for all to see. Most notably, players at the men's tournament had access to a sparkling weight room filled with rows of top-notch machinery. At the women's tournament, players were expected to make due with a pile of yoga mats and a pathetic-looking rack of dumbbells.Nearly a year later, four of college basketball's biggest superstars — Louisville's <keyword id="13391712" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hailey-van-lith" source="Orion">Hailey Van Lith</keyword>, Baylor's <keyword id="13391711" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nalyssa-smith" source="Orion">NaLyssa Smith</keyword>, Michigan's <keyword id="13391713" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="naz-hillmon" source="Orion">Naz Hillmon</keyword>, and UConn's <keyword id="13391714" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="christyn-williams" source="Orion">Christyn Williams</keyword> — reflected on the experience during an exclusive roundtable with TOGETHXR."I mean, that was crazy," Williams said. "You can't even make that up.""They tried us, for sure," Smith added with a laugh. "They tried to play us."<div type="image" title="UConn's Christyn Williams looks to pass the ball." height="1855" width="2500" msid="90234718" hostid="261"></div>Williams then recounted the moment she and her Huskies teammates saw the weight room situation with their own eyes, a hint of disbelief in her voice."Like, honestly, we went to the gym and saw it had like five yoga mats and two-pound dumbbells," Williams said. "I'm like, WHAT?!""Our practice gym, like, had the lights turned off," Van Lith chimed in. "There was no lights in the practice gym! It was like a ballroom."<div type="image" title="Louisville's Hailey Van Lith handles the ball." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90234719" hostid="261"></div>Williams then broke down <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1372676389208477696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1372676389208477696%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.insider.com%2Fncaa-sexism-images-show-inequality-mens-womens-march-madness-2021-3">the NCAA's "reasoning"</a> for the uneven resources provided to the men's and women's basketball stars. Leadership of the governing body for college <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword> initially claimed that a lack of space at the women's tournament resulted in the lackluster weight room situation, but that turned out to be <a href="https://www.insider.com/ncaa-sexism-images-show-inequality-mens-womens-march-madness-2021-3">an easily debunked excuse</a>."They had a whole new gym the next day, didn't they?!" Hillmon said, referencing the replacement weight room the NCAA cobbled together after the scandal erupted."They got it quick!" Williams added. "I'm like, y'all could've just did this at the beginning."<div type="image" title="Michigan's Naz Hillmon grabs a rebound." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90234720" hostid="261"></div>All four athletes commended Prince for making the initial video that shined a light on the NCAA's wrongdoing. Hillmon also noted that the powers that be will always find a way to cut corners "if we don't continue to hold them accountable.""That took guts, too," Van Lith said of Prince. "If I was her, I don't know about going against the NCAA like that. That's big time."Check out the full video — in which Van Lith, Smith, Hillmon, and Williams discuss NIL, March Madness, social media, mental health, and more —below:

4 college basketball stars blasted the NCAA for the 'crazy' 2021 March Madness weight room scandal

<ul class="summary-list"><li>All of <keyword id="12145742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sue-bird" source="Orion">Sue Bird</keyword>'s Final Four picks are still alive heading into the second weekend of March Madness.</li><li>Unsurprisingly, the WNBA superstar chose her alma mater — the <keyword id="12096003" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="uconn-huskies" source="Orion">UConn Huskies</keyword> — to win it all.</li></ul>Sue Bird is riding high heading into the second weekend of March Madness.All of the WNBA superstar's Final Four picks on the women's side of the bracket are headed to the Sweet 16. Unsurprisingly, the two-time NCAA champion is taking her alma mater, the UConn Huskies, to win it all."I'm feeling good about UConn," Bird told Insider before the start of the tournament. "They had a little bit of a slog of a season given injuries, given there was some COVID disruptions at different points, not unlike a lot of other teams... This was a year where there was a lot of highs and lows. And I think what that does is prepare you for the really big moments. So I'm just hoping all of those things come together for them."<div type="image" title="Bueckers (right) and freshman guard Azzi Fudd." height="1658" width="2500" msid="90424427" hostid="261"></div>"Of course, it's my alma mater, so I'm picking them to win regardless," she added. "But I actually think they have a very talented team, and I think they're trending in the right direction."Bird's other three selections for the Final Four are looking pretty strong, too. The top overall seed — the <keyword id="12137456" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="south-carolina-gamecocks" source="Orion">South Carolina Gamecocks</keyword> — entered the tournament with just two losses on the season, and now Dawn Staley's squad is rolling through the Greensboro corner of the bracket.The Gamecocks dominated the Howard Bison with a whopping 58-point victory in their opening-round game, then took down a surging Miami Hurricanes squad by 16 points, despite shooting a season-low 29.5% from the field. They'll take on the fifth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels Friday and, should they win, advance to face the winner of Iowa State vs. Creighton for a trip to Minneapolis.<div type="image" title="Aliyah Boston." height="1405" width="1874" msid="90424429" hostid="261"></div>Bird picked the one seed in the Spokane region, too: The reigning champion <keyword id="13418665" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stanford-cardinal" source="Orion">Stanford Cardinal</keyword> have been even more dominant on their side of the bracket than South Carolina has been through its first two games.Stanford beat Montana State by 41 to start its title defense, and two days later, the Cardinal racked up 91 points behind Lexie Hull's 36-point showing to blow out the No. 8 Kansas Jayhawks. A strong, high-octane Maryland Terrapins squad awaits them in the Sweet 16, and if they survive, they'll meet the No. 2 Texas Longhorns or No. 6 Ohio State Buckeyes in the Elite Eight."Stanford's a defending champion that, even though they lost Kiana Williams, they're all a year older," Bird said. "So Stanford's gonna be tough."<div type="image" title="Stanford's Haley Jones (right) high-fives teammate Lexie Hull." height="1666" width="2222" msid="90424432" hostid="261"></div>The 12-time WNBA All-Star rounded out her Final Four picks with the Michigan Wolverines — a three-seed — coming out of the Wichita Region. Though Michigan is the lowest-ranked team of all her picks, Bird thinks that two-time first-team All-American Naz Hillmon and company have what it takes to advance to Minneapolis.The Wolverines started their run with a 35-point win over American, then took down Maddy Siegrist and a strong No. 11 Villanova Wildcats team by double digits. They'll face a Cinderella team in the No. 10 South Dakota Coyotes on Saturday and then, should they win, face the winner of No. 1 Louisville and No. 4 Tennessee in the Elite Eight."Michigan's my dark horse," Bird explained. "They beat [No. 2] Baylor earlier in the year.... For some reason I think Michigan might come out [of the region], but I do think South Carolina will beat them."<div type="image" title="Michigan's Naz Hillmon grabs a rebound." height="1666" width="2222" msid="90424434" hostid="261"></div>"I'm hoping to see a South Carolina-UConn final," she added. "I think that'll be tremendous for women's basketball. I think it'll draw so many eyeballs. It'll be like a battle of styles. They play such different styles. So that is what I hope happens."The next round of the women's tournament tips off Friday, with Ohio State-Texas and North Carolina-South Carolina at 7 p.m. ET, followed by Creighton-Iowa State and Maryland-Stanford at 9:30 p.m.Notre Dame-NC State picks up the action at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, with Indiana-UConn, Tennessee-Louisville, and South Dakota-Michigan coming staggered throughout the afternoon and early evening. Fans can catch all games on ESPN networks.

Sue Bird's Final Four picks are still intact despite the chaotic opening weekend of women's March Madness

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Athletes Unlimited has signed 15 current or past WNBA players for its second basketball campaign.</li><li>Former WNBA All-Stars, champions, and top-notch rookies will face off for a month in Dallas, Texas.</li></ul>Athletes Unlimited has inked 31 players — including 15 current and former WNBA stars — for its upcoming basketball season.The innovative <a href="https://www.insider.com/athletes-unlimited-basketball-league-natasha-cloud-jon-patricof-interview-2021-10">professional basketball league</a>, which serves as a complement to the WNBA by keeping stars stateside during the off-season, announced Tuesday that it's set to host its second campaign from February 22 to March 26, 2023 in Dallas.In addition to returning six of its top 10 stars from last year's campaign in Las Vegas — including Natasha Cloud, Lexie Brown, Odyssey Sims, DiJonai Carrington, Courtney Williams, and Taj Cole — Athletes Unlimited has signed several additional WNBA stars, champions, standout rookies, and even an Olympic gold medalist to its impressive roster of contenders.<div type="image" title="Sydney Colson with Athletes Unlimited." height="1666" width="2222" msid="95082814" hostid="261" sizebytes="112622"></div>NaLyssa Smith, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 WNBA Draft who went on to earn All-Rookie honors after her professional debut, could have <a href="https://www.insider.com/brittney-griner-russia-arrest-wnba-players-overseas-dilemma-2022-4">easily traveled overseas</a> to play like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/low-wnba-salaries-brittney-griner-arrest-russia-detainment-2022-3">many others in the W</a>. Instead, she chose to remain in the US and join AU back in her home state of Texas."I love that it's in Dallas, so my family could see me play again," Smith told Insider. "Because they missed a lot there in the WNBA for sure."Location was far from the only factor influencing the Indiana Fever forward's decision to suit up for AU. A former Baylor Bear, Smith joined the Fever's ranks for her rookie season less than a month after ending her collegiate career.<div type="image" title="NaLyssa Smith." height="1333" width="2000" msid="95082815" hostid="261" sizebytes="89472"></div>Had she gone abroad to compete for a European or Asian club, Smith very well could have spent an entire year playing at the top levels of women's basketball without a moment for rest and recovery. She knew herself and her body well enough to understand that she "needed a break, honestly."And Athletes Unlimited gave her the time for just that."I went straight from college straight to the WNBA, then it would've been straight to overseas," Smith said. "So I knew like as soon as the WNBA ended I was gonna do AU, because it gives you some time to prepare."<div type="image" title="NaLyssa Smith with the Indiana Fever." height="1667" width="2500" msid="95082819" hostid="261" sizebytes="120818"></div>"Then you go play AU and you still get to compete at a high level," she added. "It's not you taking time off — you're still going to compete and you get to play with different people... I feel like this is gonna help me grow a lot."Athletes Unlimited's unique athlete-centered model, which offers a markedly different product from the more traditional approach to basketball the WNBA has taken for 26 seasons and counting, also appealed to Smith. In each Athletes Unlimited league — there are currently four, including softball, basketball, lacrosse, and volleyball — players earn points based on both team wins and individual performance.The player leaderboard changes in real-time, and at the end of each week, the top four point earners become the captains of reshuffled squads for the following week's games. Basketball, where individual stat lines drive much of the discourse, pairs well with AU's approach to quantifying both individual and team contributions.<div type="image" title="Odyssey Sims dribbles into the paint." height="1667" width="2500" msid="95082821" hostid="261" sizebytes="189826"></div>"I like how different the scoring is and how it's not just your average basketball game," Smith said. That's one of the things that drew me to AU, and also playing with different players each week and being able to be a captain.""There's some excitement in wanting to compete hard so you could be a captain," she added, then vowed "to be on the top" of the leaderboard.For Smith and the other 30 players headed to Dallas' Fair Park Coliseum in a few months, Athletes Unlimited's broadcast deal is a major bonus, too. All 30 games will be readily accessible to audiences around the world, and for fans in the United States, five contests appear on CBS Sports Network.<div type="image" title="DiJonai Carrington with Athletes Unlimited." height="1877" width="2500" msid="95082822" hostid="261" sizebytes="209040"></div>"I watched last season — I watch it a lot, actually, because it was televised on places that we could watch it, so that was another thing that I liked about it," Smith said. "After the WNBA season, a lot of players go overseas, but you don't get to really watch them and follow their path. AU you gives you that opportunity to keep watching and keep following your favorite players."So I knew right then and there like I was gonna do it, and that's why I'm here," she added.As with AU's other sports leagues, participating athletes will be — and already have been — instrumental to decision-making efforts ahead of the basketball season. Players are empowered to control everything from uniforms and accommodations to roster formation and league rules.<div type="image" title="Mercedes Russell and Isabelle Harrison go up for a jump ball." height="1667" width="2500" msid="95082824" hostid="261" sizebytes="272898"></div>And without team owners in the mix, the athletes split league profits. Athletes Unlimited even enables players to compete on behalf of non-profit organizations via its <a href="https://auprosports.com/read/athletes-unlimited-reaches-1-million-given-through-athlete-causes-program/">"Athlete Causes" program</a>.Though the complete Athletes Unlimited basketball schedule has yet to be finalized, fans can prepare for the upcoming season by tuning in for the CBS special "Athletes Unlimited: A Pro Sports Revolution," Saturday at 1:30 p.m. ET. Tickets to watch in-person in Dallas go on sale Thursday at 12 p.m. ET <a href="https://auprosports.com/tickets/basketball/">on AU's website</a>.The list of participating athletes for the 2023 Athletes Unlimited basketball season is as follows:<table><tbody><tr><td>No.</td><td>Name</td><td>Pos.</td><td>Height</td><td>Hometown</td><td>College</td><td>Pronouns</td></tr><tr><td>33</td><td>Antoinette Bannister</td><td>G/F</td><td>5-10</td><td>Jacksonville, Fla. East Carolina</td><td>East Carolina</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>13</td><td>Kristi Bellock</td><td>F</td><td>6-1</td><td>St. Rose, La.</td><td>Texas A&amp;M</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>4</td><td>Lexie Brown</td><td>G</td><td>5-9</td><td>Suwanee, Ga.</td><td>Duke</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>20</td><td>Kirby Burkholder</td><td>G</td><td>5-11</td><td>Bridgewater, Va.</td><td>James Madison</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Jordin Canada</td><td>G</td><td>5-6</td><td>Los Angeles, Calif.</td><td>UCLA</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>41</td><td>DiJonai Carrington</td><td>F</td><td>6-0</td><td>San Diego, Calif.</td><td>Stanford</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>5</td><td>Essence Carson</td><td>G</td><td>6-1</td><td>Paterson, N.J.</td><td>Rutgers</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Layshia Clarendon</td><td>G</td><td>5-9</td><td>San Bernardino, Calif.</td><td>California</td><td>They/Them</td></tr><tr><td>9</td><td>Natasha Cloud</td><td>G</td><td>6-0</td><td>Broomall, Pa.</td><td>Saint Joseph's</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>14</td><td>Taj Cole</td><td>G</td><td>5-9</td><td>Richmond, Va.</td><td>Virginia Tech</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>51</td><td>Sydney Colson</td><td>G G</td><td>5-8</td><td>Houston, Texas</td><td>Texas A&amp;M</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>8</td><td>Drew Edelman</td><td>F</td><td>6-4</td><td>Sunnyvale, Calif.</td><td>USC</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Allisha Gray</td><td>G</td><td>6-0</td><td>Sandersville, Ga.</td><td>South Carolina</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>15</td><td>Rebecca Harris</td><td>G</td><td>5-7</td><td>Belleville, Ill.</td><td>Illinois</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>75</td><td>Air Hearn</td><td>G</td><td>5-8</td><td>Memphis, Tenn.</td><td>Memphis</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Naz Hillmon</td><td>F</td><td>6-2</td><td>Cleveland, Ohio</td><td>Michigan</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>90</td><td>Meme Jackson</td><td>G/F</td><td>5-11</td><td>Murfreesboro, Tenn.</td><td>Tennessee</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>N'dea Jones</td><td>F</td><td>6-2</td><td>Lawrenceville, Ga.</td><td>Texas A&amp;M</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>7</td><td>Whitney Knight</td><td>G</td><td>6-3</td><td>Winston-Salem, N.C.</td><td>Florida Gulf Coast</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>30</td><td>Jessica Kuster</td><td>F</td><td>6-2</td><td>San Antonio, Texas</td><td>Rice</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>32</td><td>Akela Maize</td><td>C</td><td>6-5</td><td>Greensboro, N.C.</td><td>NC State</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>73</td><td>Danni McCray</td><td>F</td><td>6-1</td><td>West Palm Beach, Fla.</td><td>Ole Miss</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>23</td><td>Laurin Mincy</td><td>G</td><td>6-0</td><td>Newark, N.J.</td><td>Maryland</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>6</td><td>Kelsey Mitchell</td><td>G</td><td>5-8</td><td>Cincinnati, Ohio</td><td>Ohio State</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>12</td><td>Karisma Penn</td><td>F</td><td>6-2</td><td>Shaker Heights, Ohio</td><td>Illinois</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>99</td><td>Odyssey Sims</td><td>G</td><td>5-8</td><td>Irving, Texas</td><td>Baylor</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>NaLyssa Smith</td><td>F</td><td>6-4</td><td>Converse, Texas</td><td>Baylor</td><td>She/Her</td></tr><tr><td>92</td><td>Destinee Walker</td><td>G</td><td>5-9</td><td>Orlando, Fla.</td><td>North Carolina</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td> </td><td>Evina Westbrook</td><td>G</td><td>6-0</td><td>Salem, Ore.</td><td>UConn</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>10</td><td>Courtney Williams</td><td>G</td><td>5-8</td><td>Folkston, Ga.</td><td>USF</td><td> </td></tr><tr><td>1</td><td>Ty Young</td><td>G/F</td><td>6-2</td><td>Wilmington, N.C.</td><td>James Madison</td><td> </td></tr></tbody></table>

15 WNBA players sign on for Athletes Unlimited's second basketball season

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="12055086" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-college-basketball" source="Orion">Women's college basketball</keyword> has gotten more competitive by the season.</li><li>This year, two double-digit seeds have made their way to the <keyword id="13440805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sweet-16" source="Orion">Sweet 16</keyword> in the women's <keyword id="13357676" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ncaa-tournament" source="Orion">NCAA tournament</keyword>.</li></ul>Predictability and a lack of upsets has long kept the women's <keyword id="11932023" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="ncaa" source="Orion">NCAA</keyword> tournament from garnering the buzz or recognition afforded to men's March Madness.But these days, women's college basketball no longer exclusively revolves around Storrs, Conn., Geno Auriemma, and UConn's endless carousel of top-tier talent. And it's showing in this year's Big Dance, where massive upsets, compelling Cinderellas, and a very close call for those famed Huskies have helped women's March Madness (marketed that way for the first time this year) live up to the billing.<h2>More upsets than ever</h2>The No. 10 Creighton Bluejays kicked off the mayhem on Sunday, taking down Player of the Year contender Caitlin Clark and her second-seeded Hawkeyes in front of an Iowa home crowd, 14,000 fans strong. Just a few hours later, the No. 10 South Dakota Coyotes of the Summit League toppled the mighty No. 2 Baylor Bears and their All-American superstar, NaLyssa Smith, on their home turf.<div type="image" title="Creighton players celebrate their big win against the No. 2 Iowa Hawkeyes." height="1668" width="2500" msid="90383792" hostid="261"></div>The pair of 10-seed victories helped this year's tournament tie the record for number of double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16 just halfway through the Round of 32. And with three more double-digit seeds tipping off their own games on Monday, <keyword id="13375437" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="march-madness-2022" source="Orion">March Madness 2022</keyword> looked poised to break that record.None of those three teams — the No. 11 Villanova Wildcats, No. 11 Princeton Tigers, and No. 12 Belmont Bruins — managed to break through on Monday. Villanova gave No. 3 Michigan a good fight, but Wolverines superstar Naz Hillmon's 27-point showing proved too much for Maddy Siegrist and company to handle.Despite going into halftime down 10, Princeton climbed back and took the No. 3 Indiana Hoosiers down to the wire later that evening. The Tigers even took a narrow lead with just a minute to go, but the hometown heroes managed to grit it out in the final seconds to avoid the upset. <div type="image" title="Princeton's Ellie Mitchell (left) and Indiana's Aleksa Gulbe battle for the ball." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90383793" hostid="261"></div>Even Belmont — the Ohio Valley squad that shocked the world by taking down the Oregon Ducks in the opening round — gave the Tennessee Volunteers a fright in Knoxville. The Bruins overcame a 13-point halftime deficit and claimed the lead for much of the final five minutes of the game, but a crucial three from Tennessee's Sara Puckett and several clutch free throws from Tamari Key sealed the deal for the Volunteers and ended Belmont's Cinderella run.But perhaps most startling and exciting of all was that UConn itself — long the crown jewel of the women's basketball universe — nearly faltered in the Round of 32. The No. 7 UCF Knights, out of the American Athletic Conference, led the Huskies for most of the first half in Monday's late-night showdown.UConn ultimately survived, pulling away in the second half and fending off a late-game push from UCF. But the fact that the Huskies' mind-boggling streak of 28-consecutive Sweet 16 appearances was ever in jeopardy — at the hands of a non-Power 5 program, no less — was emblematic of the larger trend across women's college hoops.<div type="image" title="UConn's Olivia Nelson-Ododa looks to block a shot from UCF's Masseny Kaba." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90383794" hostid="261"></div><h2>Increased talent, attention, and investment has yielded a stronger field</h2>The women's college basketball generation currently <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1505272962919788549">Euro stepping</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/MarchMadnessWBB/status/1505341639765549056">half-court heaving</a>, and <a href="https://www.insider.com/video-womens-ncaa-tournament-dunk-stanford-fran-belibi-2022-3">even dunking</a> on screens across America is full of stars who have never known a world without the WNBA — the country's first mainstream, sustainable foray into women's professional <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">sports</keyword>. As these players came of age, they watched stars, like Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sylvia Fowles, and countless others, compete under the bright lights, giving them someone to emulate and something to aspire to.They bought into basketball like never before, playing competitively throughout their youth in pursuit of something greater. And with <a href="https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/state-of-high-school-sports-report-final.pdf">greater participation</a> and more options to play, both at high schools and on the AAU circuit, talent flourished.Not only is there more talent than ever before, but there's now an increased incentive for that talent to head to programs that aren't just UConn, Tennessee, or Notre Dame. Schools outside of the traditional powerhouses have invested much more in their women's college basketball facilities and resources than in the past; just look at coaching salaries on the women's side, which have <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaw/2022/03/11/womens-college-basketball-coaches-pay-salary-analysis/9350209002/">risen by $200,000</a> on average over the past decade.<div type="image" title="Dawn Staley." height="1667" width="2500" msid="90383795" hostid="261"></div>Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rules, which came into effect this season, offer even more impetus for high school players to commit to college programs outside of the big-name brands. Why wait in the wings, playing behind the likes of Huskies star Paige Bueckers when you can hit the court immediately and build a brand with a less-stacked team?Take the aforementioned Hawkeye Caitlin Clark, who chose to stay home in Iowa rather than committing to Duke, Texas, Oregon, or a number of bigger, more established programs. She was a star the moment she stepped foot on campus last season, and <a href="https://frontofficesports.com/iowas-caitlin-clark-is-collecting-records-and-sponsors/#:~:text=Her%20net%20worth%20is%20estimated%20to%20be%20between%20%241%2D5%20million.">she was paid handsomely this year as a result</a>. And for those who start their college careers at a UConn-like program and find themselves stuck on the bench, the <a href="https://www.sportico.com/leagues/college-sports/2021/college-basketball-transfers-2021-1234646192/">new transfer rules</a> have made it easier — and more common — than ever to switch teams with the lure of increased playing time, superstar status, and lucrative NIL deals.<div type="image" title="Caitlin Clark." height="1406" width="2500" msid="90383796" hostid="261"></div>This increase in talent and willingness to spread it beyond the established dynasties of the past has left women's college basketball looking more competitive than ever. And more evenly matched contests bring more upsets, more buzzer-beaters, and more eyes on the game. <h2><keyword id="11956145" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="parity" source="Orion">Parity</keyword> — and viewership — is on the rise </h2>Predictability long prevented some fans from exploring the women's side of the bracket. But now that Cinderellas are shaking up the field and UConn is far from guaranteed its usual spot in the Final Four, more and more people are flipping the channel to the women's games.Last season's Final Four — featuring the Huskies, of course, as well as Stanford, Louisville, and South Carolina — was the most-viewed championship weekend in more than 10 years, per ESPN. And <a href="https://www.si.com/college/2022/03/18/ncaa-womens-tournament-equity-2022-daily-cover">according to Sports Illustrated</a>, regular-season viewership entering this year's tournament was up nearly 50% from last season, and the bracket-unveiling show — which aired on Selection Sunday after the men's seeding was revealed — jumped up 160% year-over-year.<div type="image" title="ncaa women's basketball" height="1667" width="2500" msid="90383797" hostid="261"></div>It all paints an encouraging picture of the future — and the present — of women's college basketball.No longer does one school rule the roost. No longer does the March Madness moniker — and the eyes that accompany it — solely belong to the men's game.No longer can the NCAA avoid giving the women access to equitable resources — <a href="https://www.insider.com/ncaa-sexism-images-show-inequality-mens-womens-march-madness-2021-3">like weight rooms</a> or the name of the tourney itself — nor should they. There's a return on this investment; ESPN <a href="https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/en/Daily/Morning-Buzz/2022/02/22/NCAA-women">sold out ad inventory</a> for the women's tournament this year.Women's college basketball is proving that if you build it, they will come. And if you invest far and wide, the upsets will follow.

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15 WNBA players sign on for Athletes Unlimited's second basketball season

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A historic number of double-digit seeds in the Sweet 16 shows how much women's college basketball has grown

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