‘Caitlin Clark and female stars are paving the way for girls – women’s basketball will only grow from here’

Women’s basketball in the United States will only grow after this year’s boom, says US coach Jim Tooley.

Caitlin Clark fever gripped the US from the NCAA tournament until she was selected by the Indiana Fever as the No. 1 overall pick.

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The women’s college basketball final drew a larger television audience than the men’s last month.

WNBA teams are scrambling to move games to larger arenas to accommodate increased demand for tickets.

And the USA will play an exhibition game at London’s O2 Arena in July in preparation for the Paris Olympics.

USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley thinks the game is only going in one direction.

And he thinks social media has played a big role in people like Clark and Paige Bueckers paving the way for younger generations.

Tooley told The Sun: “A lot of players say ‘you can be me if you can see me’.

“I think the WNBA has been on the rise in recent years, getting more media attention and more television exposure.

“Women’s soccer in the NCAA is also getting a lot more exposure.

“In both cases, this exposure will continue to grow and this, in turn, creates greater general interest.

“The WNBA has been around for 28 years and I think you’re seeing the impact of the beginning on the girls.

“What you’re seeing is this unfolding in real time now and it’s paying dividends.

“Social media has played a huge role in the accessibility of athletes.

“Not just basketball, but they have NIL opportunities that have given them an additional platform.

“There’s a lot more interest and they’re getting an identity early in their playing careers, so when they make the leap to the pros there’s a connectivity that maybe wasn’t there in the past,

“I only see it growing in the coming years to bigger and better places.”

No. 1 overall pick Clark cashed in on his fame with a Nike deal worth more than $20 million.

But his $76,000 salary compared to the $12.16 million of NBA No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama highlighted an important issue.

Tooley said: “As Cathy Engelbert, the WNBA commissioner pointed out, the WNBA is much more on the rise than the NBA.

“They are 28 years old and salaries will grow in proportion to the business.

“I think the business will expand and salaries will increase.

“But I don’t think it’s fair to compare a 78-year-old league like the NBA to a 28-year-old league like the WNBA.

“The business has to be there, otherwise it will just be a cause and disappear.

“But I think the business is growing and good things are coming.”

Tickets for The USA Basketball Women’s Showcase at the O2 Arena are available to buy at ticketek.co.uk