The Relationship Between College Playing Experience and Professional Success in Women's Basketball and Soccer

Faculty Mentor

Brandonn Harris

Location

Russell Union Ballroom

Type of Research

On-going

Session Format

Oral Presentation

College

Waters College of Health Professions

Department

Health Science and Kinesiology

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature on the relationship between seasons played in college, and international status on career success for female professional athletes playing basketball and soccer in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA) and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Athletes that may spend more time in collegiate sports (redshirting - for injury, academics, COVID-19, or development), or that have spent less time in collegiate athletics (entering professional drafts early) may result in different levels of career success in sports as elite athletes. Previous studies have examined how the number of years played in college relates to professional success in male elite athletes but failed to examine female elite athletes. Success will be investigated in four different areas: offensive statistics, defensive statistics, player mishaps and the number of minutes played in their respective sport. Women’s professional sport leagues have had considerable growth and visibility over recent years. Established in 2013, the NWSL started as eight teams but has doubled to 16 teams with plans for further expansion in 2028, with fan attendance increasing (reaching over 1.2 million fans) from 2022 to 2023 (Adgate, 2023). Additionally, in 2024, attendance increased again to an average of 11,250 fans per game (Silverman, 2024). The WNBA has also had substantial recent growth, partly due to the superstar effect of Caitlin Clark (Gnagey & Koford, 2026). In 2024, ESPN averaged 1.19 million viewers per game, a 170% increase over the previous season (Adgate, 2024). The WNBA and the NWSL offer lenses that help view the overall landscape of the growth of women’s sports, in addition to possessing high level athletes from multiple cultures and backgrounds. Fulfilling this gap will guide women athletes and organizations with identifying effective pathways to professional success.

Program Description

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Start Date

4-23-2026 2:15 PM

End Date

4-23-2026 2:30 PM

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Apr 23rd, 2:15 PM Apr 23rd, 2:30 PM

The Relationship Between College Playing Experience and Professional Success in Women's Basketball and Soccer

Russell Union Ballroom

The purpose of this study is to fill the gap in the literature on the relationship between seasons played in college, and international status on career success for female professional athletes playing basketball and soccer in the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBA) and the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). Athletes that may spend more time in collegiate sports (redshirting - for injury, academics, COVID-19, or development), or that have spent less time in collegiate athletics (entering professional drafts early) may result in different levels of career success in sports as elite athletes. Previous studies have examined how the number of years played in college relates to professional success in male elite athletes but failed to examine female elite athletes. Success will be investigated in four different areas: offensive statistics, defensive statistics, player mishaps and the number of minutes played in their respective sport. Women’s professional sport leagues have had considerable growth and visibility over recent years. Established in 2013, the NWSL started as eight teams but has doubled to 16 teams with plans for further expansion in 2028, with fan attendance increasing (reaching over 1.2 million fans) from 2022 to 2023 (Adgate, 2023). Additionally, in 2024, attendance increased again to an average of 11,250 fans per game (Silverman, 2024). The WNBA has also had substantial recent growth, partly due to the superstar effect of Caitlin Clark (Gnagey & Koford, 2026). In 2024, ESPN averaged 1.19 million viewers per game, a 170% increase over the previous season (Adgate, 2024). The WNBA and the NWSL offer lenses that help view the overall landscape of the growth of women’s sports, in addition to possessing high level athletes from multiple cultures and backgrounds. Fulfilling this gap will guide women athletes and organizations with identifying effective pathways to professional success.