Who Will Be The Face of Women's College Basketball For The 2023-24 Season?

[The deacon]

@The deacon i don’t disagree that Caitlin is a great player — and you’ve defended her name stoutly these last three years. But the fact is her only truly great achievement was last season, and she rightly was recognized for it with the NPOY. I stand by my statement that prior to last season all she really accomplished was stats. The very fact that Paige won the NPOY in their freshman year despite Caitlin’s numbers is the confirmation of it. Gaudy stats are not enough. Yes, a conference title is something to be proud of, but I guarantee you that she was disappointed in the results of her first two seasons.

And now Caitlin has finally matched Paige’s achievements, and if we are all very lucky this coming season will be their moment to shine in competition with each other. Neither has actually won an NC (sorry I mistyped above) and it’s high time one of them actually did. Merely making it to an NC game is not enough for either of these great competitors.

But this is all old news and we’ve argued this out before. The question before us is which of them will be the media darling headlining this season. This is not simply a matter of who’s better, but also of who has more star power. In this matter, I don’t believe there’s any competition. Paige’s charisma and the excitement of a comeback story will just be too great for anyone else to overshadow.

Well said all the way through, Bone Dog, although Clark's achievements even before last season were consequential.

Otherwise, I'm agreed, on the proviso that Paige is healthy. If she is, and rises to the levels we all hope for, I'm in line with you that she has potential star power even beyond that of the magnetic and charismatic Caitlin (you need to watch Clark's interaction with fans and media more often if you think she's lacking in that regard). Paige also has star personality, but the built-in edge of playing for the Huskies.

I'll just add that, if she has a healthy season, Clark will likely challenge for and probably achieve legendary status as an 'amasser' of both assists and scoring stats. Those pursuits will not be overlooked by the media, regardless of what the Hawkeyes manage as a team.

This is fun. I get to talk about two amazingly gifted young women who happen to play for two of my favorite teams. Cool stuff...

 

[Waquoit]

Cardosa was carried by Boston for a couple of years. She won't be the face of her team let alone NCAAW.

I don't understand the shade for Cardosa. She's a top player.

 

[Bigboote]

Your underlying premise is, for better or worse, pretty much the way I thought of this: Who will ESPN be broadcasting? So -- along with the fact that Angel Reese was the face of the National Champs -- think SEC star first. However, Caitlin Clark is the reigning National Player of the Year so her "cat(lin)" is out of the bag: she'll be covered. A lot. Things come in three, so I think Paige will be highlighted (UConn's strength as a program and her coming back from injury are both draws), as well.

This is the start of the season. After that, the play's the thing, although I think the teams that play well will push certain players forward, such as S. Carolina (Cardoso), Va. Tech (Elizabeth Kitley), Stanford (Cameron Brink), Indiana (McKenzie Holmes), UConn (Fudd, Edwards, besides Bueckers). An interesting ??? is Notre Dame. They've got players, for sure, but their best one -- Oliva Miles -- is in the midst of a recuperation. So, the Irish could be a "they" for the near term.

I think you need to consider personality. I don't mean good or bad, but BIG. Cardoso, Kitley, Holmes, Fudd don't have big personalities (and I like them all). Clark, Bueckers, Reese, Brink all have big personalities, so ESPN will consider that when considering whether to push them.

Another thing is, Brink plays in the Pac and gets very little exposure on the East Coast, although she has the Curry Connection that adds to her panache.

It was awhile ago, but recall the Three to See (yeah, this doesn't support either point I made above). Diggins was he only big personality, although Griner was VERY well-known and someone unlike anything we'd seen before. Delle Donne was also something we hadn't seen before -- an incredible player on a mid (or even low?) major team. Delle Donne and Griner were both pretty withdrawn personalities who let their play do all their talking.

 

[Alydar]

ESPN will focus on the SEC and ACC. I hope so. I think they need to have Reese write a daily blog. remember when Duke was ESPN's darling and Abbie Wainer (sic) had her "Diary" blog on ESPN. She made three enties or so when the Duke season deflated but ESPN kept on pushing her onto the public stage.

I'm in favor of ESPN closely following LSU all season. Maybe put Voepel on a season-long assignment. Not many super teams come around so they should take advantage of this rare opportunity.

 

[GoingPostal]

I'd find it hard for ESPN to not focus on Paige. The NPOY and winner of every award she was eligible for, as a freshman, is coming back for her senior season after two years where she was either injured for a large portion, her sophomore year, or out for the entire junior season and coming into this year when UConn has as good a chance of winning it all as anyone else. If that isn't the story line of the season, I'd be awfully surprised.

 

[Bone Dog]

I'm in favor of ESPN closely following LSU all season. Maybe put Voepel on a season-long assignment. Not many super teams come around so they should take advantage of this rare opportunity.

It would be interesting, especially if Voepel got some insider access to practices. The key with LSU will be if they can keep from imploding, and seeing how they hold it together, or not, would be fascinating.

 

[Bigboote]

I'm in favor of ESPN closely following LSU all season.

I’d be fine with that, but only if they play a big-kid schedule.

 

[Bone Dog]

I’d be fine with that, but only if they play a big-kid schedule.

I know what you mean. But even if they play a creampuff schedule like last season, the added attention would be embarrassing for them.

 

[sun]

I’d be fine with that, but only if they play a big-kid schedule.

Here's some news about LSU's SEC schedule.

LSU women's basketball's 2023-24 SEC schedule highlighted by home game vs. South Carolina

Reigning national champions LSU women's basketball learned its 2023-24 SEC schedule Wednesday. Here are the highlights.

www.usatoday.com

 

[Bone Dog]

Here's some news about LSU's SEC schedule.

LSU women's basketball's 2023-24 SEC schedule highlighted by home game vs. South Carolina

Reigning national champions LSU women's basketball learned its 2023-24 SEC schedule Wednesday. Here are the highlights.

www.usatoday.com

It looks like the conference schedules in the SEC are going to be stronger just because the conference is inching towards parity. Of course, we still know very little about Kim's OOC schedule, though they will be participating in the SEC-ACC tournament which looks really promising.

 

[nwhoopfan]

It looks like half of Hailey Van Lith's outfit is missing.

And Brink looks like she's wearing a cosplay outfit, only she isn't at ComiCon.

I guess they are ready for the WNBA, where bizarre attire is the norm!

 

[Waquoit]

It looks like half of Hailey Van Lith's outfit is missing.

And Brink looks like she's wearing a cosplay outfit, only she isn't at ComiCon.

I guess they are ready for the WNBA, where bizarre attire is the norm!

Meow, meow, meow

 

[Bone Dog]

After watching Jana in the FIBA U19 games I wouldn’t be surprised if she becomes “the face of WCBB” soon enough.

 

[Bald Husky]

Here's some news about LSU's SEC schedule.

LSU women's basketball's 2023-24 SEC schedule highlighted by home game vs. South Carolina

Reigning national champions LSU women's basketball learned its 2023-24 SEC schedule Wednesday. Here are the highlights.

www.usatoday.com

Who really cares about their SEC schedule, they have to play those teams. No surprise. I would like to see who they play in OOC. That will show me if they have the balls to play good teams, especially since they are the defending National Champs, and I don't mean teams that are at tournaments. I mean teams that they schedule for future home and home series.

 

[ISUnorth]

All of the top three for different reasons. Caitlin is the returning superstar that is probably the most popular player that fans want to watch. Paige is very close and the obviously biggest comeback story in the country. And Angel will be the player who puts herself in the limelight with the stage of a defending national champion and her sometimes controversial behavior.

All three will get a ton of attention as the main individual storylines of the season.

Will be interesting. Limelight vs popularity vs talent vs team success, all play into it. And whoever ESPN decides is in their best interest to hype. Their "algorithm" for that isn't necessary the same as fans. I won't be surprised if it's SEC, SEC, SEC, LSU all season. Maybe more Team LSU or Team Mulkey than Angel's LSU. I don't think she is even the best player, or even most valuable, on that team for the upcoming season.

 

[sun]

Who really cares about their SEC schedule, they have to play those teams. No surprise. I would like to see who they play in OOC. That will show me if they have the balls to play good teams, especially since they are the defending National Champs, and I don't mean teams that are at tournaments. I mean teams that they schedule for future home and home series.

Everyone knows that LSU's SEC schedule is tougher than UConn's Big East Schedule.
So why do folks want to make such a big deal about LSU's OOC schedule?
Both LSU & UConn play cup cake teams 1/2 the time anyway.
Playing a tougher OOC schedule didn't help UConn to advance during March Madness.

 

[HuskyNan]

@The deacon i don’t disagree that Caitlin is a great player — and you’ve defended her name stoutly these last three years. But the fact is her only truly great achievement was last season, and she rightly was recognized for it with the NPOY. I stand by my statement that prior to last season all she really accomplished was stats. The very fact that Paige won the NPOY in their freshman year despite Caitlin’s numbers is the confirmation of it. Gaudy stats are not enough. Yes, a conference title is something to be proud of, but I guarantee you that she was disappointed in the results of her first two seasons.

And now Caitlin has finally matched Paige’s achievements, and if we are all very lucky this coming season will be their moment to shine in competition with each other. Neither has actually won an NC (sorry I mistyped above) and it’s high time one of them actually did. Merely making it to an NC game is not enough for either of these great competitors.

But this is all old news and we’ve argued this out before. The question before us is which of them will be the media darling headlining this season. This is not simply a matter of who’s better, but also of who has more star power. In this matter, I don’t believe there’s any competition. Paige’s charisma and the excitement of a comeback story will just be too great for anyone else to overshadow.

I’m confused - isn’t her “job” as the centerpiece of Iowa’s offense to score a lot of points? Caitlin has “only” one great achievement? That’s one more than 98% of other NCAA players.

I never understood diminishing someone’s accomplishments to defend the accomplishments of another

 

[Ozimoto]

Don't know if she will be the face of Women's college basketball, but right now Angel Reese is the pride of Baltimore.

 

[EricLA]

It looks like half of Hailey Van Lith's outfit is missing.

And Brink looks like she's wearing a cosplay outfit, only she isn't at ComiCon.

I guess they are ready for the WNBA, where bizarre attire is the norm!

I don't think it's bizarre at all. They are all in their late teens or very early 20's. Look at any "series" on TV right now that focuses on high school kids (even younger) and what they wear on those shows is no different than what those 3 have on.

Would I like my daughter to dress like that? Well given that my "kids" are all fur babies, it would be funny to see my dog or cat dressed like that, but all joking aside, like it or not, it's how kids dress these days.

Am I a fan? Not really (altho I do have to admit the looks are "fun"), but in the 50's, parents weren't fans of jeans and white T-shirts and DA hair styles. I think in most every era, parent's aren't thrilled with how kids dress!

Back to the original topic, I don't see why there can't be multiple "faces" of WCBB this season. Players like Reese will be interesting because some seem to dislike her larger than life personality and her edgy attitude. Players like Fudd are more quiet and will let their games speak for themselves. Players like Paige and Caitlyn both have big personalities to go along with big games ( think Brink is somewhere in the middle).

IMHO there's room for all of them. Do I "LIKE" all of them? Of course not. But that's part of the fun. Root against he "bad guys", or players/teams you dislike, and root for the "good guys", or players/teams you do like...

 

[HuskyNan]

We are not discussing the appearance of young women here. There are other types of sites for that