Contrary to popular discussions, DEI is not dead, it’s actually front and center for the right reasons.
Photo Credit: Aaron Doster/USA Today Sports/Reuters
As we all know by now, NCAA Women’s College basketball recently broke many records.
According to preliminary numbers from Nielsen, last Sunday’s NCAA women’s tournament national title game between the undefeated and top overall seed South Carolina and Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes averaged 18.7 million viewers and peaked at 24 million viewers. This allowed the #GamecocksWBB to earn their third national title – all under the remarkable former NCAA and WNBA player, and now coach, Dawn Staley – to finish the season 38-0.
What’s not new news, is that women athletes have always been showstoppers and impressive. So, what’s so new and different now? The world’s not only watching, but paying close attention. Today, women collegiate athletes are celebrated and followed on social media, televised specifically on network television and are able to deliver authentic messages to the masses.
This year, the women’s championship game broke viewership dollars and views for many other reasons such as emphasis and features on star players, coaches and respective schools across multimedia platforms where we learned extraordinary background on remarkable women attached to organizations supporting their influence. Social media also remains a key component of establishing a relationship and community for fans and spectators. Being familiar with top players and teams, reading and hearing media coverage, along with the phenomenal talent backing it up was a win-win for women in sports.
We know about the struggle of players, backstories, features such as Brazilian born Kamilla Cardoso of the NCAA Champion South Carolina team, who migrated to the U.S.A at just 15 to pursue basketball knowing literally just three english words - “Hi,” “Yes,” and “Bye,” and whose coaches and community learned key game words in Portuguese to call out for her.
Moreover, we often see the impact of DEI growth and success when money has been put into initiatives as funding is always beneficial. Cheerleaders, dance teams and current students were visibly present throughout the tournament, which often accounts for room and board and colleges and universities supporting students traveling to support their peers and community. This is something that was common practice for men’s sports, not necessarily women. Also, we saw an increase in school advertisements promoting student athletes, including on social media. Paid media remains a strategic marketing tool. And without a doubt the introduction of NIL deals for top women athletes was a theme this year, from JuJu Watkin’s partnership and collaboration with Estee Lauder, Caitlin Clark’s collaboration with Gatorade which is the seen my many epitome of sports excellence, and Angel Reese supporting Fashion Nova and announcing her entry into the WNBA Draft with Vogue Magazine this helps to generate star power and tremendous attention.
Opportunity and accessibility brings exposure combined with talent brings success. Women have always been more than qualified, but we must be given opportunities to thrive and moreover to be seen and heard!