Overview:
Barsky was appointed as chairperson for the NCAA Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee last December
Kelly Barsky’s gift for gab will occasionally get rapped with ribbing.
“It’s certainly a joke in my house,” she confessed after taking over as UC Santa Barbara’s interim athletics director in January 2022.
But the trait has well-served the mother of three since Chancellor Henry Yang made that appointment permanent last year.
Barsky, a former point guard for New Hampshire’s Keene State College, has become a point person for the entire sport of women’s basketball.
She held court at last week’s historically successful Final Four as the new chairwoman for the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Oversight Committee.
“The environment was amazing,” she told Noozhawk. “It took over the town, of course, and Cleveland did a great job with it.
“The arena was sold out, and the amount of people and kids wearing the jerseys of the players was phenomenal.
“I’ve been to a lot of Final Fours, but this was a really, really special one, and I think you’ll continue to see it grow. I’m so thrilled by that.”
The women’s championship game between the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks and the Caitlin Clark-led Iowa Hawkeyes attracted an average of 18.7 million television viewers. It peaked at 24 million combined on ESPN and ABC.
The men’s final between victorious Connecticut and Purdue averaged 14.82 million, marking the first time it drew a smaller audience than the women.
Quarter-Century of Growth
In 1997, the year Barsky ascended to No. 2 on Keene State’s all-time assist list, the men drew more than 28.3 million TV viewers for its NCAA final compared to just 4.5 million for the women.
“You have more a competitive group of Division I women’s teams competing for the Sweet 16, the Elite Eight and the Final Four than you used to,” Barsky said.
“Is there more talent now? Or is the talent more spread out? It’s hard to say, but there is more exposure now.
“We can watch now and see the talent. There wasn’t the same kind of exposure back then.”
Iowa’s Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball, received more exposure this season than any other collegiate basketball player, male or female.
It’s helped her rake in $3.1 million with 11 known NIL deals (name, image and likeness).
Only three others are making more: USC basketball star Bronny James, the son of NBA star LeBron James; Colorado football quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Famer Deion Sanders; and LSU gymnast and social media influencer Livvy Dunn.
South Carolina coach Dawn Staley paid tribute to Clark after beating her Hawkeyes, 87-75, in last week’s final.
“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” she said. “She carried a heavy load for our sport and it just is not going to stop here on the collegiate tour.
“But when she is the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft, she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs (Greatest of All Time) of our game. We appreciate you.”
Barsky’s job at the Final Four was to lead the committee that enhances “the development and public perception of the sport and for making recommendations related to regular season and postseason competition, including items such as playing rules and championship administration.”
The committee also invited 15 women’s basketball players from non-participating schools to the Final Four “to promote (their) personal growth and leadership development.”
UCSB senior Alexis Whitfield, who led the Gauchos last season with averages of 15.1 points and 9.8 rebounds per game, was part of that “Student-Athlete Engagement Group.”
“She got to see a lot of the things done behind the scenes for everything from the (Women’s College Basketball) Hall of Fame to ESPN’s production stuff,” Barsky said.
Quest for a Coach
Barsky did some behind-the-scenes work of her own while searching for a successor to recently retired women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson.
“My roots are in women’s basketball, and in being an educator through women’s basketball,” she said. “I’m thankful that I was able to go to the Final Four to connect with coaches that I’ve known for a long time, as well as some new, and administrators, as well as women’s industry leaders.
“I took advantage of the opportunity to network with so many people while I was there.”
Henrickson announced her retirement more than three weeks ago after having coached for 38 years —the last nine as the Gauchos’ head coach.
“It surprised me when she came in and said, ‘You know when you know, and it’s time to retire,’” Barsky said. “I have so much love, appreciation and respect for her in how she cares about and empowers women, how she cares about the Santa Barbara community and our campus, and how she understands the game at such a deep level.
“And I’m glad she’s a Gaucho.”
Henrickson will actually remain a volunteer Gaucho coach until Barsky hires her successor.
“It all came on a little quick for probably both of us, but she’s still here, leading the workouts,” Barsky said. “We’ll have a warm handoff in the transition.
“Again, she’s a Gaucho forever.”
UCSB’s two starting guards — seniors Alyssa Marin and Anya Choice — seem to be Gaucho players forever.
Barsky said they both plan to take advantage of the NCAA’s offer of a fifth season because of the COVID-19 pandemic and return to the team next season.
“We’ll certainly have some strong senior leadership there,” Barsky said.
Marin, who received All-Big West Conference honorable mention last season, averaged 12.1 points while shooting 38.1% from three-point range. She also handed out a team-best 3.3 assists per game.
Choice took on UCSB’s top defensive assignment every game. She also scored 7.2 points per game on 36% shooting from three while contributing 2.7 assists.
Whitfield entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, however, in hopes of receiving a graduate degree at another school. Junior Laurel Rockwood, a 6-foot-4 center, has also entered the portal.
“Alexis had a great run here and I’m really thankful for her,” Barsky said. “But obviously, her next step is to continue to play with another year of eligibility while going to graduate school.”
Barsky’s own next step is to find a new coach.
UCSB launched a national search while listing a salary range of $200,000 to $220,000, conditional on “final candidate qualifications and experience.”
She muted her normally chatty self when asked to name those she’s interviewed and are still considering — or even when she expects to name Henrickson’s successor.
“We’re moving as fast as we can,” is all Barsky said.
She does like her talking points.
“Bonnie has built a strong foundation, and we’ll continue to grow and develop from it,” she affirmed. “I think this is an exciting place to be, so there are lots of great things to come.”