CLEVELAND — The USA Women’s Basketball team is in Cleveland for their training camp April 3-5 at the Cleveland Cavaliers practice facility, the Cleveland Clinic Courts. 

What You Need To Know

  • NCAA Women’s Final Four week is underway in Cleveland

  • There are lots of events happening and many celebrities in town 

  • Coaches and prospects for USA Women’s National basketball team are in Cleveland for training camp 

  • Many of the players are happy about the increase in viewership of women's sports 

Caitlin Clark was invited to practice but wasn’t able to attend because Iowa is playing in the Final Four. 

There are more eyes on women’s college basketball than ever before. Iowa's 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight of the women's NCAA Tournament on April 1 averaged 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Nielsen, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game in television history.

“It’s about damn time, I mean where have all these people been?” said Diana Taurasi, a guard for the Phoenix Mercury. “Sometimes I, you know, I have conversations with the older players and we’re like, it's finally got here. We’ve had some amazing basketball players the last 50 years and it’s almost a shame that they didn’t get the same amount of coverage and the same amount of respect.”

Taurasi said she thinks this country has a fascination with younger athletes and once they become professionals people stop caring. 

“But that’s the pinnacle, if you’re the best in the pros, then you’re the best in the world and I think people have to still remember that when it comes to women’s sports,” Taurasi said.

Cheryl Reeve, the head coach of the USA Women’s National Team said she hopes to keep the momentum going. 

“We've known it can be this if you, if you treat it the right way, if you invest in it and, you know, invest in the same way and have the same mindset as you do for men's sports, this is what can happen and so hopefully that continues to grow,” Reeve said. “The women's basketball games surpassed every sport, every major sport because we're always kind of beaten up over ‘well you’re not a major sport.’ We beat every major sport in those numbers and let's talk a lot about that because that is significant.”

 

Coaches and prospects of the USA Women's National Basketball Team gather together at training camp at the Cleveland Clinic Courts April 3. (Spectrum News 1/Taylor Bruck)

Kelsey Plum, a guard for the Las Vegas Aces, said she’s happy these players get to reap the benefits of the great players that have come before them and laid the foundation to where the sport is now. 

“It’s really cool to reap the benefits and see these young players make money, be on the national spotlight and grow the game and we just got to continue to grow the game and you know it doesn't stop in college, you know, we have really good players in the W[NBA] and so excited for fans to make that transition to see those players in college that they love come over and play this summer, it’s really cool,” Plum said. 

Especially in an Olympic year with more eyes on women’s sports in general, many of the USA Women’s National Team prospects said they hope the viewership continues at all levels. 

“I mean it being an Olympic year and all the eyes on women’s sports, it’s big, I mean, the coverage worldwide you just see it,” said Brittney Griner, a center for the Phoenix Mercury. “You see the momentum going everywhere and I just think it’s spectacular that it’s on an Olympic year as well.”