The 2024-25 NCAA women’s basketball season is in full swing, with teams battling it out for the coveted national title. Last night, fans witnessed some thrilling matchups, including a major upset as the defending champs, South Carolina was overwhelmed by the UCLA Bruins. On the other hand, the Caitlin Clark-less Iowa Hawkeyes continued their strong start to the season. However, fans were left disappointed as they couldn’t catch all the action, with some games lacking proper television coverage and not even having illegal streaming links.

When it comes to NCAAW games, platforms like ESPN and ABC handle the broadcasting duties. But here’s the catch—these networks prioritize airing high-profile matchups that promise to draw massive viewership. The downside? Networks often sideline games featuring unranked teams, leaving fans unable to tune in and cheer for their favorites from home.

In fact, Tennessee alumna and WNBA legend Candace Parker has also shed light on the issue of inadequate coverage for women’s basketball. “There a lot of leagues that it took to year 30 to really make a growth, so it’s coming. The crazy to think that I think, it’s little fixes. And this is where my role is, is to question and to push and to encourage. ABC, the first time they put the Women’s NCAA game on ABC, was the first year that Caitlin Clark made the championship game… It was buried for so long on ESPN,” Candace Parker said a few weeks ago.

Despite improvements over time, fans are still feeling the frustration of limited coverage, with some games still not making it onto TV. In response, many have turned to social media to vent about the struggle of trying to watch these games. Some even admitted to resorting to illegal streams just to catch the action live, highlighting how desperate they’ve become to support their teams.

Frustration builds as fans struggle to access NCAA women’s college basketball games

Yesterday, the Iowa Hawkeyes faced off against the Washington State Cougars, securing a dominant 72-43 victory. As Caitlin Clark’s alma mater, Iowa has become a significant name on the college basketball map, even without a current ranking. Naturally, many fans were eager to watch the game live, curious to see how the team is faring in the post-Clark era.

However, their hopes were dashed when the game wasn’t broadcast on any channel. Frustrated by yet another example of inadequate coverage, one fan turned to X to voice their disappointment, a sentiment echoed by many others. “womens college basketball is so inaccessible they don’t even have illegal streams.”

Other fans quickly joined the conversation, rallying behind the issue and adding their voices to the growing frustration. They just asserted the argument with one-word replies. “Talk!!!” & “Frr”.

While ESPN and ESPN2 may broadcast NCAAW games, the focus is often on high-stakes matchups, leaving lower-profile games out of the lineup. This leaves fans of those overlooked teams feeling frustrated and powerless, scrambling to find any way to watch and support their favorites. Another user expressed the same sentiment and revealed how difficult it is to watch games if ESPN does not cover it.

“FU-KING FACTS! Damn near impossible to watch some games unless they’re on ESPN or ESPN2.”

With many games left unstreamed, fans were scrambling for solutions. One user reached out to the women’s basketball community, asking for help in finding streaming links, especially since even the defending champions, South Carolina, had their game unavailable on TV.

“Strangers of the Internet, Women’s college basketball fans, please gather and tell me where y’all are watching these games LIVE and online for FREE? I don’t want to pay for another streaming, I beg. Help a sister out 🙏🏾 I wanna watch the gamecocks game tonight!”

The plea highlighted just how challenging it has become for fans to support their teams and enjoy the games they’re passionate about. However, showing their collective passion for the sport, other users quickly joined in, sharing ways to catch the games through unofficial streaming sites. One user mentioned that South Carolina’s game was available on YouTube, while another pointed to playback as an alternative option to watch. “someone is showing the ucla game on youtube too!”

“People always stream them on playback.” The challenges of inadequate coverage continue to frustrate fans, making it clear that women’s basketball still needs more visibility. Until then, fans will keep finding creative and illegal ways to support their teams.