Just Women's Sports

Women's March Madness continues to deliver, with last weekend's Elite Eight coverage peaking at 4.4 million viewers across ESPN networks. The round ranked as the second most-watched Elite Eight in ESPN history, averaging 2.9 million viewers across all four matchups. UCLA’s Sunday win over LSU topped the weekend bill, averaging 3.4 million viewers and peaking at 4.4 million to become the third most-watched Elite Eight matchup on record. Fans have consumed 5 billion total minutes of the 2025 Women's NCAA Tournament so far, up 47% from 2023 and trailing only 2024’s Caitlin Clark-fueled spike.

The US will host the 2031 Women's World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino confirmed today, with the UK in line to host the 2035 event. The US submitted the sole bid for 2031 after ceding a prior campaign to host the 2027 Women's World Cup to Brazil. Infantino cited the "Home Nations" of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as providing the only “valid bid” for the 2035 tournament. "The path is there for the Women's World Cup to be taking place in '31 and '35 in some great countries and some great nations to boost even more the women's football movement," the FIFA president stated. While 2031 will mark a record third US-hosted WWC after successful runs in 1999 and 2003, the UK has never before welcomed the global women’s tournament — though they did win the 2022 Women’s Euros on home soil. "Football is and always will be at the core of our country's identity," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ahead of this week's announcement. "That pride was on full display when England hosted UEFA Women's Euro 2022. It not only showed the best of our nation to the world but inspired a generation of girls into the game, all whilst boosting the economy."

We’re thrilled to share that JWS has been nominated for a Webby Award for Best Sports Series on Social. Out of 13,000 entries from around the world, The Gold Standard was selected as one of the top five in its category. This means we’re now in the running for two of the Internet’s biggest honors: 🥇 The Webby Award (chosen by the Academy) 🗳️ The Webby People’s Voice Award (voted on by the public) We’re incredibly proud of the team behind the show, including hosts Kelley O'Hara and Lisa Leslie. If you loved the energy, insights, and guests we brought to last year's Olympics coverage — vote for us and help bring this one home. 🗓️ Voting is open now through Thursday, April 17th. https://lnkd.in/eZd8YKx5

UConn star Paige Bueckers recently partnered with Dunkin' Donuts and Round21 to give away 1,500 free student tickets to her final home game. Learning that student tickets to this year's NCAA tournament were no longer free, the senior guard decided to pick up the tab as a way to thank her community for all the years of support. "They are the people I go to class with. I was just trying to give back as much as they give us, because it means everything," Bueckers told CT Insider. "To be able to support them and make it so our last home game this year was a great environment, it was cool to do." Bueckers went on to treat the crowd to a show, scoring 34 points to lift UConn over South Dakota State 91-57 and send the Huskies to the Sweet 16.

JWS is heading to Tampa, hosting a live recording of "Sports Are Fun!" with Kelley O’Hara on April 3rd ahead of the NCAA Women’s Final Four. O'Hara and co-hosts Greydy Diaz, Merritt Mathias, and BJ Beckwith are bringing their hit women's sports podcast to the biggest weekend in college basketball. The exclusive live event will feature interactive moments, plenty of surprise guests, and a behind-the-scenes look at the NCAA tournament's final rounds. “There’s never been a better time to be a women’s sports fan, and I couldn’t be more excited to bring "Sports Are Fun!" to Tampa during the Final Four,” says O’Hara. “The energy around this weekend is going to be electric, and we’re giving fans a front-row seat to be part of it.” Tickets are $20 and include a complimentary drink and JWS party favor. Get yours now via the link in the comments.

The New York Liberty announced plans to build an $80 million, 75,000-square-foot dedicated practice center in Greenpoint, Brooklyn this week. Set to open in 2027, the state-of-the-art complex will eliminate the need for the 2024 WNBA champions to continue sharing training facilities with the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. “The New York Liberty deserve a facility of their own: one that reflects their tremendous talent, work ethic, and ambition,” said Liberty governor Clara Wu Tsai in Thursday's statement. “This facility is a sign of our commitment to the team, to the city of New York, and to the advancement of women’s sports.” In addition to common amenities like dining, workout, and recovery areas, the facility will forgo a traditional locker room and instead provide every player with a private suite — complete with a wardrobe, vanity, and seven-foot daybed. “We just won a championship, and in the same way they expect us to level up and step up our game, our ownership group and leadership continues to raise the bar, and this facility is a perfect example of that," commented Liberty center Jonquel Jones.

ESPN reported the second most-watched Women's March Madness opening rounds on record, with 1 billion total minutes consumed so far this year. Trailing only 2024’s historic postseason, 2025’s first round was up 43% from 2023, with ABC seeing its second-highest first round viewership ever. The second round averaged 982,000 viewers, up 60% from 2023 — the second most-watched second round history outside of 2024. UConn’s blowout win over South Dakota State was the second round’s top earner, drawing an average of 1.7 million viewers to ESPN on Monday night. While last year’s historic peaks won’t be easy to replicate, this year’s numbers indicate year-after-year growth across a wider variety of teams. This season’s strength lies in its breadth of star power, with both superstars and unique storylines dominating every quadrant.

As March Madness favorite Texas heads to the Sweet 16, JWS is giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the No. 1 seed's SEC tournament run. Featuring exclusive interviews with coach Vic Schaefer and star players Madison Booker, Rori Harmon, and Shay Holle, the all-access video trails The University of Texas at Austin Longhorns as they finish out their top-ranked regular season. "It probably means a little bit more because there's seniors on the team, including me," says standout guard Rori Harmon, looking ahead to her team's quest for an NCAA championship title. "I don't really know what my future holds, but this is the team that can do it. You don't want to waste time... I think everyone understands what's at stake here." This follow-along supports JWS's mission to connect and engage with fans around the biggest moments in women's sports. Click the link in the comments to watch more.

The number of US bars expressly dedicated to showing women’s sports is expected to quadruple this year, according to a new NBC News analysis. Six women's sports bars were operating around the country at the start of 2025. An additional three have opened since January, with at least 14 more set to open before the end of the year. Existing and planned locations include big cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco as well as smaller markets like Cleveland, Pittsburgh, and Kansas City. Three new venues — Phoenix's Title 9 Sports Grill, Omaha's Set the Bar, and Austin's 1972 Women's Sports Pub — opened just last week, timing their debuts to the beginning of the blockbuster Women’s March Madness basketball tournament. “The vibe that I feel when I go into other sports bars is it’s dark, it’s kind of a cement block, and you definitely have to ask to get women’s sports on and, for sure, to get the audio on women’s sports,” Set the Bar owner Molly Huyck told NBC. “I’m super excited to have a sports bar that feels good and a place where everyone’s welcome.” The uptick is a direct response to surging women's sports viewership, with competitions across all sports shattering records for both in-person attendance and at-home consumption in recent months.

NCAA is leveling the March Madness playing field, with women's teams receiving performance payouts for the first time in tournament history. It's a mechanism the men’s tournament has utilized for decades. Starting this year, the organization will distribute ~$15 million total to individual conferences depending on games played, with each March Madness matchup worth ~$113,000. The overall women's prize pool will jump to $20 million in 2026 and $25 million in 2027, before transitioning to a 2.9%-per-year increase model. In another March Madness first, additional perks like charter flights are also on deck for the tournament's women’s teams. “Everyone is so excited about the experience. Going from the bus directly to the plane, everyone was so happy,” William & Mary head coach Erin Dickerson Davis told ESPN ahead of her team’s first-ever NCAA tournament appearance.