‘Icons’ – LeBron James praised Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and explained why NCAA women’s basketball is taking over men’s

The NCAA women’s basketball tournament has become bigger than the NBA Finals and MLB World Series.

Even LeBron James had to take notice of the huge surge in popularity for a tournament that used to be completely overshadowed by the men’s version.

LeBron James is a big fan of women’s basketballCredit: Getty
The NBA’s all-time scoring leader referred to stars such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Paige Bueckers as “icons” in a 2024 interview.

James also pointed out that a decline in the men’s tournament has been matched by a rise in women’s March Madness.

While the Los Angeles Lakers fight for a top spot in the Western Conference, The King has watched the women’s Dance from afar and seen the same thing as basketball fans across the world.

“I don’t think there’s much difference between the men’s and women’s game when it comes to college basketball,” James told ESPN.

“I think the popularity comes in with the icons that they have in the women’s game. You look at Angel Reese, you look at JuJu (Watkins) you look at Caitlin Clark, you look at Paige.”

In praising Clark and Paige, James highlighted a serious problem for the men’s college game.

The one-and-done rule, combined with the transfer portal and huge NIL money, has watered down the men’s tournament and left teams resetting their rosters annually.

Just as a young men’s player makes his name in the NCAA Tournament, he bounces to the NBA and joins a pro team.

The women’s game is the exact opposite, with Clark staying at Iowa for four years and building her name annually, then becoming even bigger in the WNBA.

James also questioned a WNBA rule that requires NCAA players to turn 22 in the calendar year of the draft they intend to enter or to have exhausted their collegiate eligibility.

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Caitlin Clark has become internationally famousCredit: Getty

Angel Reese rivals Clark as one of the WNBA’s biggest namesCredit: Getty

Cooper Flagg could leave Duke after only one yearCredit: Getty
In doing so, he pointed out a big problem linking the NCAA men’s system and the NBA.

Fans barely know the players in the NCAA men’s tournament every year.

Meanwhile, the NBA is getting young players who only spent a year in college, and then must adapt to a tough pro league.

The NBA has recently had more success with international development, highlighted by Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama and Luka Doncic, who’s now James’ teammate on the Lakers.

“You’re able to build a real iconic legacy at a program,” James said. “And that’s what we all love about it. That’s what we all love.

“We love the girl’s game because of that moment you actually get to see those girls (build to). That’s what makes the girl’s Final Four and the Elite Eight so great.

“Yeah, Iowa was a great team — Caitlin Clark is the reason we tuned in.”

Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who holds the biggest name in the current men’s tournament, is expected to leave college after just one year and enter the NBA Draft.

“It’s just a different time between the men’s and women’s,” James said.

“Men can come out after their freshman year. If I have a big-a** season after my freshman year of college basketball, I’m going to the league.”

Women will stay in college — and keep growing their sport.