Two of the best teams in the country meet on Saturday.

No, we’re not talking about the College Football Playoff here. Or the NBA. Or the NFL.

No. 4 UConn and No. 7 USC meet in a women’s basketball matchup with “Game of the Year” potential highlighted in bold. Under the heading Paige Bueckers and JuJu WatkinsThe level of competition and offensive firepower has the makings of an all-timer.

It happens to take place on one of the busiest days in the sports calendar.

While the game will air in prime time at 8 p.m. ET on Fox, it will be played among a slate of college football, NBA and NFL games. Notably, the matchup will directly pit No. 8 Ohio State against No. 9 Tennessee for a spot in the CFP quarterfinals.

The dilemma is a well-known phenomenon in women’s sports. While college basketball and the WNBA have made strides in historic viewership in recent years, top men’s sports often share competing airtime – and often with it the larger portion of the audience.

When asked what the main driver of growth in women’s sports was last season, Watkins immediately pointed to media exposure.

“We were in prime time,” Watkins says. “People could see the talent and of course great players like Angel (Reese) and Caitlin (Clark) and so many more came along. I think that was pretty much the difference.”

Bueckers expressed a similar opinion. She knows the level of play in women’s sport has always been high, but thanks to the investments made, more viewers are now consuming.

“I think women’s sports have always been great,” Bueckers said in August. “I think now we’re starting to get the coverage, the attention and the accessibility. You can see the investment in women’s sports, the return on investment is even greater. So that people can tune in and watch, more people are talking about it. Obviously the names of the superstars help – they get people watching and tuning in, and all the storylines help. There are a lot of things that contribute to that, but I think just the sheer accessibility, the attention and the respect is safe.”

In the season since Clark and Reese left for the WNBA, women’s college basketball continues to be powered by stars. Watkins and Bueckers are among the best of them, along with players like Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo and LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson They make their own headlines with big games and surprising performances.

Fun and competitive play is still a core part of women’s college basketball’s identity this season, but hosting games against events like the CFP offers fewer opportunities to attract a stronger audience.

Perhaps there is no better matchup to set new standards than the two strong programs competing against each other on Saturday evening.

Comes from her record-breaking freshman year, Watkins currently ranks third nationally (24.7) on 45.4% shooting and is leading USC to a 10-1 start. Meanwhile, Bueckers is averaging 20.6 points on 58.4% efficient shooting while UConn is also 10-1.

The competition between the two will reflect the game’s current talent, evident in Bueckers as the WNBA’s likely No. 1 draft pick, while also showing the future with Watkins in her second season. The two players know that the talent in women’s college basketball has the power to continue to attract people, supported by increased exposure.

“It’s always been entertaining, but just to see the numbers grow, the data backs it up,” Bueckers said. “So just keep playing, keep working hard and keep entertaining.”

Ultimately it depends on the product on the pitch. Amid a crowded slate Saturday, Bueckers and Watkins are ready to prove the staying power of women’s sports.

As Watkins puts it, the piece always speaks for itself.

“The talent is definitely there and will continue to be there,” Watkins said. “(It’s a matter of) taking a look.”