LeBron James says popularity of women’s basketball is due to familiar stars

By NOAH TRISTER
AP Sports Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — LeBron James figures there’s at least one obvious explanation for the surging popularity of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament — recognizable stars. After his Los Angeles Lakers beat Washington on Wednesday night, James talked a bit about the women’s game. He listed Angel Reese, JuJu Watkins, Caitlin Clark and several other top players. Although James mentioned well-known men’s players like Purdue’s Zach Edey and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht, he noted that the transfer portal and early NBA draft departures makes it harder for players to became familiar to fans. It’s different on the women’s side.