TAMPA, Fla. — After UConn crushed South Carolina on Sunday to win another national championship, women’s college basketball can turn its attention to a court drastically different but no less important than the hardwood at Amalie Arena.
Courtroom 3 of California’s Oakland Courthouse, where a federal judge, Claudia Wilken, will hold Monday’s final hearing over a settlement in the landmark House v. NCAA lawsuit.
Assuming she signs off on the agreement in the coming hours, days or weeks, schools will be able to start paying players in every sport directly this year. Women’s basketball stands at a fascinating intersection at the dawn of the revenue-sharing era; it’s not a traditional cash cow like football or men’s basketball, but it’s more valuable than swimming or soccer.