Dozens of people queued down the block and around the corner to get into the Sports Bra in Portland, Oregon, the first bar in the world – according to owner Jenny Nguyen – to only show women’s sports.
The fact that it was the middle of a Monday did not curb the crowd’s enthusiasm, nor did it slow them from consuming “three times” as many drinks as they normally would.
They were there to witness an epic women’s college basketball tournament game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers, headlined by superstars Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese.
From the Sports Bra crowd to celebrities Lebron James and Travis Scott, more than 12 million viewers tuned in. It was one of the most-watched college basketball games ever, men’s or women’s.
“It was electric,” Ms Nguyen said, recalling the atmosphere as the University of Iowa beat Louisiana State University, a victory led by Clark who scored a whopping 41 points.
“I’ve been watching women’s basketball for decades. It feels like everyone else is just catching up… it’s about damn time,” she added.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) has been hosting the basketball tournament known as March Madness since 1939.
In just three weeks, 68 of the best college teams are winnowed down to one champion.
The annual event is a media frenzy where millions of fans watch games around the clock for days on end.
