NCAA women's tournament starts strong without Caitlin Clark

The NCAA women's basketball tournament is gearing up for another exciting year, but it faces big shoes to fill without star player Caitlin Clark. Last year, the championship game captured an average of 18.9 million viewers, a record for women's basketball. This year, ESPN expects viewership to be lower but hopes to attract around 12 million if the right teams and storylines come together. ESPN's Meg Aronowitz highlighted the tournament's growth. Regular season games saw a 41 percent increase in audience compared to last year. She emphasized that there are still many talented athletes to watch, even without Clark. ESPN will air all 67 tournament games starting this week. Games will be available on ABC, ESPN, and other affiliated networks. The championship game is set for April 6. The network also has a new studio team and will feature various commentators throughout different rounds of the tournament. This year's tournament will offer more coverage than ever before, including the return of "The Bird & Taurasi Show," which features legends Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. ESPN plans to highlight star players while also sharing the stories of all the teams involved. Overall, the excitement around the tournament remains high. The matchup between No. 6 Michigan and No. 3 Notre Dame could be an exciting clash worth watching. South Carolina is favored to win, having shown strong performances leading up to the tournament.