Real winner of NCAA women’s regional was fans showing up and showing out

Two teams cut down nets. One town was a cut above.

Iowa and Virginia Tech are heading to the Final Four. Seattle inched closer to hosting one.

That has to be the takeaway after a pair of NCAA women’s basketball tournament regionals stuffed Climate Pledge Arena with fans over the past four days. There were some notable numbers over that stretch — such as Iowa’s Caitlin Clark posting 41 points in the Elite Eight, and UConn’s streak of 14 straight Final fours coming to an end.

But the most pertinent figure was this: 43,556 — the number of paid attendees from Friday through Monday.

It’s no surprise that the Emerald City would churn out fans for prominent women’s basketball games. The Storm outdrew every other WNBA franchise last year by a significant margin, and the Huskies saw sellout crowds during the Kelsey Plum days last decade.

But I suppose you don’t truly know what the butt-to-seat ratio will be until the event actually takes place. Now we know. And that knowledge is power — or better yet, evidence, for Seattle to use to bring a future women’s Final Four here.

That was the stated goal of Seattle University athletic director Shaney Fink, whose school partnered with the Seattle Sports Commission and Climate Pledge Arena to bring half of the Sweet 16 here. And as eight teams tried to survive and advance, the setting thrived and enhanced the experience for players and coaches alike.

Clark, who also had 12 assists and 10 rebounds in her majestic performance Sunday, said as much after leading the Hawkeyes to the Final Four.

“The energy in the crowd is pretty incredible,” Clark said. “I don’t think people realize how much that affects us on the court. “

Added UConn coach Geno Auriemma, winner of 11 national titles: “You love to play in these kind of atmospheres with this kind of crowd and play in a great building like this.”

So just what did the octet of programs provide for those in attendance?

Well, there was Clark posting 31 points in a win over Colorado on Friday, the same day Cashmere High product Hailey Van Lith scored 21 to lift Louisville to a victory against Ole Miss. There was Ohio State freshman Cotie McMahon scoring 23 points on Saturday as the Buckeyes prevented Connecticut from reaching the Elite Eight for the first time since 2006.

There was Clark’s mesmerizing triple-double the next evening, which prompted former NBA point guard and ESPN analyst Jay Williams to deem her “the biggest brand in college sports right now.” And then there was Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley scoring 25 points Monday and teammate Georgia Amoore dropping 24 to lead the Hokies past Ohio State in the Elite Eight.

Former Seahawk and VT safety Kam Chancellor was there for that one. Former Storm point guard and UConn star Sue Bird was on hand two days earlier. Storm guard Jewell Loyd made an appearance as well. Big names showed up and the players showed out.

No, the Seattle regionals didn’t feature an overtime thriller or buzzer beater that have come to embody college basketball in March. It did, however, produce entertainment commensurate with Seattleites’ basketball appetite. Not that on-court performance should determine how well an event was thought to be run — but memorable moments could leave an impression for future consideration.

The next open Final Four for the women’s tourney is in 2032. Will Seattle be on the list?

Remember, the Kingdome was where UCLA won the men’s national championship in 1995. And men’s tournament games were played at KeyArena in 2015. And since it has transformed into the state-of-the-art facility that is Climate Pledge Arena, it seems ready for women’s basketball’s grandest stage.

At this point, though, it’s unknown when or if that day will come. In the meantime, it’s worth celebrating four days of entertaining, sometimes exhilarating basketball.

This is a hoops town. Always has been. The city showed up. It will do so time and time again.