NCAA women's basketball is riding the wave of a superb generation and has been attracting a lot of attention in recent months. Asked after the Lakers' victory against Washington what makes the women's tournament stand out from the crowd, LeBron James explained that they see only one difference with their male counterparts. For the best scorer in NBA history, it's the age of entry into the professional world that changes everything.
“ I don't think there is much difference between men and women at university level » assures LeBron James. “ The popularity of women's basketball comes from the icons that women's basketball has. When you see Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink from Stanford to name a few, the freshman player at Notre Dame (Hannah Hidalgo)… Like they don't have the opportunity to go straight away in the WNBA and they have to stay four or three years… Wait 22 years, right? You can become a true icon within a university. And that’s what we love. That's why we love women's basketball. »
No “one-and-done” for women
Well placed to raise the question of eligibility, having joined the NBA after high school, LeBron James therefore seems to welcome this age limit imposed by the women's league. In 2022, however, he was annoyed on Twitter : “ I'm sitting there after watching the WNBA draft the other day wondering, damn, why do young players have to stay in college for four years before turning pro??!!! »
“ Among the boys too, we now see players who stay longer in the NCAA, who go through the transfer portal, and it is sometimes difficult to follow, resumed LeBron James. “It's not a JJ Redick or a Shane Battier who had a full course at Duke and came back for four years, or a Mike Bibby in the late 90s. It's just a different era between the young players and young players. When boys have a big first season at college, they go to the NBA. Whereas girls like JuJu Watkins, they can't go straight to the WNBA. If she could, maybe she would. That's where the difference is. »
Starification has no gender
LeBron James thus explains that if there is Caitlin Clark at Iowa, there are also names that attract the spotlight among boys, like Zach Edey at Purdue, and that starification has no gender. “ The players, depending on who they are, will attract curiosity in terms of audience » estimates the Lakers player, before continuing on what women's March Madness offers. “ The Final Eight was fantastic! Iowa has a great team, and it's because they have Clark that we want to watch. [….] The players always play as they should, the passing game, the markings, the sharing of the ball, their sense of combat in throwing themselves at each ball… »
While the NBA refused to change the age of registration for the Draft, the WNBA remains for the moment faithful to its rule of 22 years at the time of registration for the Draft (20 years for international players). This will allow Clark, Reese, Brink and others to finally be able to present themselves in the Draft on April 16.
