As excitement builds ahead of the second half of the WNBA season following a record-breaking All-Star Game, it’s clear that women’s basketball has never been in the spotlight like it is today.

With the overall rise in popularity, it’s no surprise that this is spilling over to other levels of women’s basketball as more people tune in. The Howard women’s basketball team plans to take full advantage of the attention this upcoming season.

With current superstars like A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart dominating the game alongside rising icons Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, women’s basketball is enjoying unprecedented popularity.

According to CNBC, the WNBA has broken several attendance and viewership records over the course of its season. This year’s NCAA Tournament semifinal between Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and perennial powerhouse UConn became the most-watched basketball game in ESPN history, regardless of gender, since 2019.

Former WNBA All-Star and ESPN commentator Chiney Ogwumike wrote in the Players’ Tribune about the rise of women’s basketball: “I feel like women’s basketball has been the Hunger Games for a long time. Every generation has fought to move the game forward. But now we’re catching fire…”

The Lady Bison have certainly earned special attention with their success on the court. Under coach Tiesha “Ty” Grace, the team has reached the MEAC championship game each of the last four seasons, winning the North Division championship in 2021 and the conference championship in 2022.

That same season, they secured Howard’s first-ever NCAA Tournament win over Incarnate Word and look to continue their great run this season.

The team also returns several key players that have led the team to success. One of the key returnees for the Lady Bison is senior Destiny Howell, who was the team’s leading scorer during the 2022-23 season with 17 points per game. However, a torn ACL caused her to miss the entire 2023 season.

Howard will also bring back veteran defender Iyanna Warren, who earned a spot on the All-MEAC second team last season, as well as Rookie of the Year player Tyana Walker.

The benefits of increased viewership have already paid off for the Howard program. The team’s success and rising popularity have led to some of its games being shown on a national stage.

Several of Howard’s games were featured on ESPN and ESPNU last season, and the team was given the opportunity to become the first HBCU to participate in the Battle 4 Atlantis event and compete on national television against top-tier programs like Ole Miss, bringing new attention to the program.

After the game, live commentator Evan Stockton praised the Lady Bison, saying, “Overall, it was a great day for Howard Women’s Basketball. They put Ole Miss in their place and played a top-25 team that was as tough as they come.”

The increased attention and success on the field have paid off: According to Howard University Athletics, attendance in the last two seasons has reached its highest level in over seven years.

During the 2022 season, the department averaged more than 1,000 fans per team game, the highest average attendance in more than a decade.

The increasing popularity has even helped the Howard women’s team off the field, as the program was able to sign a multi-year deal with Black Girl Vitamins as its official sponsor.

Black Girl Vitamins’ press release stated that the company not only wants to support Howard’s women’s team on and off the field, but also offers monthly scholarships of $1,000 to deserving black students.

As the popularity of women’s basketball continues to grow rapidly at both the college and professional levels, the Howard Lady Bison look to capitalize on this positive momentum and bring Howard another championship title this season.

Editing by Camiryn Stepteau