Women’s Final Four can be a financial windfall for players

By PAT EATON-ROBB
AP Sports Writer

Women’s basketball is ranked second, behind only college football and ahead of men’s basketball, when it comes to the amount of income generated by name, image and likeness deals. That is according to Blake Lawrence, the chief executive of Opendorse. His company helps colleges and athletes navigate the celebrity endorsement landscape, which was opened last summer by the NCAA and now has millions of dollars flowing through it. He says making it to the Final Four will only increase the deals coming to social-media influencers such as Stanford’s Cameron Brink and UConn’s Paige Bueckers.