Sometimes, numbers aren’t just numbers.

Now more than ever, women’s sports are continuing to gain momentum on the professional and collegiate level. A perfect example is basketball, where attendance numbers are skyrocketing like never before. But in the midst of this national trend, a bigger question remains: Why does Northwestern women’s basketball not reflect this growth?

Aside from football, men’s basketball games are Northwestern’s most popular sporting events. Student buzz and Wildside student section promotion are perfect reasons for this. From the hype that starts before the season in late October to the sold-out home games against other big collegiate names, students focus on–and stress out about–claiming their tickets to pack the stands. However, the women’s basketball team does not receive the same passion and anticipation. In fact, according to Big Ten statistics, Northwestern women’s basketball had the lowest average attendance per game as of March 9. On average, only 1,501 people attended home games, trailing Penn State, the next team in line, by over 700.

These numbers don’t just resemble this season’s struggles. The lack of in-game student support goes back to previous seasons. Let’s take a look at how they compare to the likes of the men’s team.

Packing the Welsh

Welsh-Ryan Arena has exactly 7,039 seats, and men’s basketball filled it up with multiple sold-out games during the 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, women’s basketball received the same scale of support only once for the 2023-24 season, when they welcomed former Iowa sensation Caitlin Clark to Evanston. In fact, this has been the only sold-out women’s basketball game in Northwestern history.

“I think a lot of people came to see her play,” fourth-year guard Melannie Daley said last season, referring to Clark after their game against Iowa. “I think having the fans be there, though, it’s this energy booster for us.”

In the 2023-24 season, Northwestern men’s basketball attendance significantly outperformed that of women’s basketball. While men’s basketball almost reached the 100,000 home game attendees mark, women’s basketball barely reached one-third of that number. On top of that, the average number of attendees for men’s basketball games more than doubled that of the women’s, welcoming more than 5,000 each home match, compared to women’s basketball attendance at slightly over 2,000.

For perspective, if we were to compare both teams’ most-attended home games of the 2023-24 season, the reality is that men’s basketball’s top games were the ones completely sold out, capped at 7,039 attendees. On the other hand, women’s basketball’s most-attended home games were those that mirrored their season average, lingering around 2,000. While one of the most-attended games for men’s basketball was their upset win against then-No. 1 Purdue, attraction for their other games could include a variety of factors, including being tough Big Ten competitors, tip-off time and day of the game.

Transitioning into the 2024-25 season, the difference in support for the men’s and women’s teams grew from the previous year. Women’s basketball’s attendance plummeted, with only two of their home games reaching over 2,000 in attendance. However, men’s basketball sold out five home games this season despite recent disappointing performances that put them in danger of missing out on the Big Ten Tournament.

Welsh-Ryan Arena’s capacity could also play a major role in the variation of attendance numbers, considering it is the smallest basketball arena in the Big Ten. When both Wildcat teams play away games, the attendance numbers are larger, even if the crowd isn’t wearing purple Northwestern gear. For reference, when women’s basketball visited Iowa in the 2024-25 season, they were welcomed to a sold out 14,998-seat arena–a number men’s basketball only surpassed twice at away games. A few weeks before that game, women’s basketball visited Ohio State and played for a crowd of 7,190 people, surpassing Welsh-Ryan Arena’s capacity. Although Ohio State’s arena has a capacity of 19,500 seats, the larger picture is women’s basketball surely sees greater attendance away from home, which is always appreciated.

As the 2024-25 season has officially come to a close, one only hopes the numbers will get better for the next season, as there is more behind a team’s achievements than just its performance on the court.

After all, what is a team without its fanbase?