The Group Chat: Documenting the side quest

NCAA women’s basketball is in full swing, and today’s slate is highlighted by Ally Tipoff, one of the early season’s most elite showcases, this year featuring No. 9 NC State and No. 18 USC.

• If you’re already locked into the on- and off-court storylines, you’re not alone: College women’s basketball players are among the biggest social media stars, cultivating a unique relationship with fans and driving the growth of women’s hoops in the process.

• So today, we’re discussing how these ballers use social media to grow the game and their personal brands. Brush up on the latest TikTok trends, and let’s hoop to it.

NCAA women’s basketball has undergone a rapid and robust glow-up the last few years. From viewership to brand deals to fan loyalty, the game has grown at a jaw-dropping pace, with some players becoming household names overnight.

• Star power helped to pull in new fans (see: the Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers Effects), but sustaining the movement goes beyond a couple of once-in-a-lifetime on-court talents. Instead, the familiarity hoopers build with fans off the court has helped to make the game’s popularity so durable.

• As Clark and Bueckers continue their pro careers, the next generation of collegiate hoopers is carrying the torch, one lip-syncing TikTok at a time.

In the NIL era, social media content helps hoopers win on a business and PR level. Opendorse reports that women’s college athletes saw a 12% annual deal growth, compared to 8% for the men, and that’s largely driven by their social media proficiency.

• Research shows that female athletes are particularly skilled at brand-building via Instagram and TikTok, no surprise to anyone who has spent time on USC star JuJu Watkins’ Instagram page. Watkins’ NIL valuation is believed to be near $1M a year, even as she’s sidelined to recover from an ACL injury. Way to secure the bag.

Along with Watkins, a few athletes are playing the social media game better than anyone else. First and foremost, there’s LSU guard Flau’jae Johnson, who’s pursuing a full-fledged music career while leading a national championship contender. She’s one of the most famous college hoopers out there, with 2M followers on Instagram and 1.8M on TikTok. Her estimated NIL valuation? A mind-boggling $1.5M.

• We also can’t talk about social media impact without discussing UConn’s Azzi Fudd, who’s taken the world by storm since winning Final Four Most Outstanding Player in April — her Instagram and TikTok come in at almost 700K followers apiece.

• From the cover of SLAM to New York Fashion Week to her own podcast to this summer’s obsession with Pazzi, Fudd is the sport’s current It Girl, fueled by her frequent, funny, and fashionable posting.

🏀 It’s not just athletes’ personal brands (and bank accounts) benefitting from socials stardom. Here are just a few of the ways players’ social media savvy is revolutionizing the broader game:

🪪 They build name ID. Getting their faces in front of as many people as possible gives newbies (and especially younger audiences) a chance to become familiar with their play.

👭 Fans feel like we really know them, helping us become invested in the on-court product and their off-court journeys alike.

👠 It shows that athletes are multidimensional. Just like women fans, women athletes have diverse interests — like music, fashion, or cooking — providing a new entry point for unconventional fans across niche corners of the internet.

🤑 They attract brand deals, and with them, more money and visibility — which in turn lands games in primetime TV slots. A self-perpetuating cycle of slay.

Some see these players’ social media presence as a pastime (or even a distraction), but the truth is that it goes hand-in-hand with their on-court play to bolster the game’s growth, especially for the next generation of fans. Making TikToks and draining threes is all in a day’s work.