The Impact of Pac-12 Networks on Women’s College Basketball

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In what has been one of the most competitive, entertaining and electrifying Pac-12 women’s basketball seasons in years, the media company of the Conference of Champions – the Pac-12 Networks – has once again proven to be the go-to place for all things Pac-12 women’s basketball.

Pac-12 Networks has been a game changer for women’s sports and has helped significantly increase the national exposure for some of the nation’s top female student-athletes. Prior to the launch of Pac-12 Networks just five years ago, only a handful of Pac-12 women’s basketball games received any exposure at all. This season alone, Pac-12 Networks aired more than 100 women’s basketball games, including some of the most memorable and record-breaking moments in Conference and NCAA history. Stanford head coach Tara VanDerveer earned her 1000th win and joined the late Tennessee Women’s Basketball head coach, Pat Summitt, and Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski, in achieving this milestone. And Kelsey Plum, the Washington Huskies’ senior point guard and Pac-12 Player of the Year, surpassed Southwest Missouri State’s Jackie Stiles in the record books to become the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history. In addition, 65 games Plum played in during her record-setting career aired live on Pac-12 Networks.

Women’s basketball has played a leading role on Pac-12 Networks this year and an all-star cast of women covering the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament further emphasized the importance of the role it has played in giving women a spotlight in sports. The broadcast team of Anne Marie Anderson, Krista Blunk, Mary Murphy, Tammy Blackburn, Jill Savage and Kate Scott, covered the competition from start to finish in Seattle, while studio host Ashley Adamson and analysts Ann Schatz and Ros Gold-Onwude, provided unparalleled in-game, pre-game and post game coverage from the Pac-12 Networks Studios in San Francisco.

The countless highlights, interviews and stories told this year also included 16 upsets and three overtime thrillers. So, as another exciting season and remarkable Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament comes to a close, be sure to look to Pac-12 Networks to continue to elevate women’s sports while providing exclusive access and coverage of some of the greatest talent to currently play the game.