GCU fans and Sparky, ASU’s mascot, exchange some playful words during the women’s game at Footprint Center Thursday. (Photo by Spencer Barnes/Cronkite News)
PHOENIX – It didn’t receive the pregame attention of the men’s game, but when the GCU and ASU women’s teams met Thursday in the Jerry Colangelo Classic, it was another positive step for the growth of the sport.
The competition at Footprint Center showcased the teams at a time when interest in women’s basketball is at an all-time high. After the Lopes secured a comeback win over the Sun Devils, 70-59, GCU coach Molly Miller stressed the importance of maintaining momentum in the women’s game.
“We got to keep it going because the community can just kind of rally together, and this is how you grow women’s basketball. You get interest,” Miller said. “If there’s interest in the ASU and GCU matchup because we are cross-town, the student body will get competitive (and) the teams will get competitive.
“This is what the growth of the game looks like for us and on either side. Whether you come out on the winning side or the losing side, what an honor it is to have eyes this many eyes on women’s basketball.”
With attendance records frequently shattered in women’s college and professional basketball, and the attention on high-profile WNBA players including Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, the sport is at peak attention level.
The WNBA had its highest total attendance in 22 years, up 48% from last season, according to the league. Its 154 sellouts marked a 242% increase from 2023.
ASU guard Tyi Skinner reacts as she is surrounded by GCU players during the Jerry Colangelo Classic at Footprint Center. She had 15 points and four assists. (Photo by Spencer Barnes/Cronkite News)
The 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship set an attendance record with 436,055 fans, the first time it has topped 400,000, the NCAA reported.
GCU senior guard Alyssa Durazo-Frescas said playing inside the arena that houses the Suns and Mercury made it feel like a March Madness game, even though it didn’t match the attendance of the men’s game that followed. She had 22 points and made six 3-pointers in the Lopes’ victory.
“Being in here, I never experienced anything like this,” Durazo-Frescas said. “So just them cheering as loud as they can, (it’s) just surreal.”
GCU students gathered downtown to support their Lopes, a few lining up as early as 9 a.m., and Miller acknowledged the strength of the Lopes’ fanbase in their win over the Sun Devils.
“What an incredible environment that’s unmatched,” Miller said. “They really fueled us. … What an amazing atmosphere for women’s basketball, only the third game in the season. It was pretty incredible to have that kind of support here at GCU. They came out, painted the Footprint Genter purple, and it was fun to be a part of that.”
As someone who played high school basketball in Arizona, ASU forward Kennedy Basham loved playing in front of an energetic fan base. She finished with 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks.
“(I’m) not gonna lie, I was a little nervous, but I was super excited,” Basham said. “It’s great to be home in front of my friends and family, but even just this crowd with these girls, it’s just fun to go out here in front of this big crowd.”
Third-year ASU coach Natasha Adair said playing at Footprint Center for the second time was an honor. The Sun Devil also competed in this Hall of Fame series last year, beating Fresno State.
“It was just a great atmosphere for women’s basketball,” Adair said. “It felt like a really good environment. It felt like March in some ways.”
