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March is one of my favorite times of the year — as a lifelong basketball fan and a former Division III college player, there is nothing quite like the madness of this month. The sheer volume and speed of games, coupled with the unexpected upsets and unforgettable memories, encapsulates what makes basketball so special.

This year is particularly special to me, as it feels like women’s sports — and in particular, women’s basketball — are finally getting the attention they are due, thanks to the incredible year and career of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark. Clark has broken a number of offensive records. In March 2024, Clark will surpass Pete Maravich’s 54 year record and become the NCAA women’s and men’s basketball all-time leader in scoring. She’s not finished yet.

What I find most inspiring about Clark’s career and season is what she’s done for women’s basket-ball as a whole. Clark is a major story in women’s basketball. You can also find out more about the following: men’s basketball. Girls You can also find out more about the following: Boys are clamoring in Clark’s direction for an autograph or a picture. The AP reported Iowa road games saw a Increased by 150% in average attendance. More people The number of women’s matches is higher than the number of men’s matches.  The women’s games are watched more than men’s games. New York Times reported Women’s sports will generate more than $1 billion this year. This is up by about 300% compared to a 2021 forecast.

As we approach the NCAA National Championships, women’s competition gets as much attention, if not even more, than men’s. Even Shaquille O’Neal The women’s tournament is closely followed. In light of all this it’s surprising to remember that until 2022The NCAA refused to use its trademark “March Madness” for the women’s tourney.

I am a lifelong basketball fan. I started playing basketball year-round when I was 10 years old. It was my first love and I was lucky enough to continue it in college at the small engineering program I attended. As a young girl, I worshiped the likes of Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi — incredible players in their own right.  But neither of these players captured the country’s imagination as Caitlin.

This year could be a landmark for the. sea change. Clark is an amazing player, but there are many more players who will be able to match her. Angel Reese is a junior who led LSU to victory over Iowa in the national championship last season. She is now poised to repeat that feat this year. Juju Watkins, a freshman at the University of Southern California, is Average more points per game Clark has done in her first season. The landmark changes in Name, Image and Likeness deals offer Massive Opportunities The visibility of female athletes will increase. There is every reason for believing that the attention Clark brought to the game and the talent that followed in her wake will continue to attract the attention of the nation.

My basketball career ended 15 years ago. Now I am a practicing lawyer, and the mother of two boys. I am filled with gratitude that my boys will grow up knowing women’s sports finally receive the recognition they deserve. It brings me great joy to think they will have amazing athletes like Clark to look up to.

Clark’s popularity also gives hope that other segments in American society, such as the legal profession, will make great strides toward gender equality. Bloomberg reported that in January of this years, for the first timeA slim majority of associates in law firms are women.  The same report also found that women make up 40% of all attorneys at private firms — another record.

These statistics are very relevant to my own private practice career. Ten years ago, when I started my career focusing on patent law, I felt that I was the only female in the room. It only seemed to get worse as I progressed. However, in recent years, we’ve  made real strides in recruiting and retaining women for our IP Department, even within this traditionally male-dominated field of patent law. As Clark’s accomplishments pave the path for future female athletes, the success and numbers of women in the legal field continue to set a better example for those who follow.

There is still a lot of work to be done in order to achieve true gender parity and ensure that our society and institutions value women’s contributions as much as men.

This year, the month of March is for women.

Sarah Waidelich is a Partner at Honigman LLP, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan.  She is a Lateral Hiring partner for the IP Department and focuses on intellectual property litigation with a focus on patent litigation. Sarah is a mom to two adorable boys. In her spare time, she enjoys baking, traveling with her family, and watching sports. You can contact Sarah at swaidelich@honigman.com.