Despite shattering viewership records and showcasing unparalleled talent in LSU's Angel Reese and Iowa's Caitlin Clark, the NCAA women's basketball championship game has once again been slated for an afternoon spot, raising eyebrows and sparking discussions across the sports community.

ESPN made the schedule announcement on Twitter Friday, Ben Axelrod of Awful Announcing reported.  The timing of the title game, scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday, April 7, and set to be broadcasted on ABC, has left fans and analysts alike questioning ESPN's programming choices, especially given the thrilling prospects for the upcoming season.

The turn of events follows an immensely successful tournament last season, which drew record ratings, culminating in a championship game that attracted a staggering 9.9 million viewers. This made it the most-watched NCAA women’s basketball game in history. The game featured a riveting showdown between Angel Reese's LSU Tigers and Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes, and was a high-scoring, edge-of-the-seat spectacle that had fans and newcomers to the sport alike raving about the play and the athletes.

“The product on the court speaks for itself,” ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said during last season’s tournament, via Awful Announcing. “Our championship game was well-played, high-scoring, and entertaining. People are watching because the product is great, and the women’s stories are compelling. It’s been a long time coming, but it feels like more people are finally ready to fully embrace the women’s game.”

With superstars like Reese and Clark returning to their respective teams, anticipation for the 2023-24 season is at an all-time high. The LSU Tigers and Iowa Hawkeyes are ranked first and third, respectively, in the AP Top 25, with the storied UConn program sitting at No. 2, featuring its own superstar, Paige Bueckers. The potential for a LSU-Iowa rematch, with these incredible athletes at the helm, has fans exciting about the possibility of another epic showdown.

However, despite this rising tide of interest and the clear appetite for women's basketball, as evidenced by the recent spike in WNBA playoffs ratings, ESPN's decision to stick with the status quo has raised questions about the network's commitment to maximizing visibility for women's sports. With minimal competition for viewers on the date of last season’s championship game, the decision not to capitalize on what is quickly becoming one of ESPN's hottest commodities is odd.

While the Final Four semifinal matchups have been scheduled for primetime, with games at 7 and 9:30 p.m. ET on Friday, April 5, the decision not to elevate the championship game to a similar slot on ABC has left many feeling that an opportunity to celebrate and promote women's sports has been missed.