There are countless recent examples of how the women's NCAA Tournament has risen to parity with the men's.
First, there's the intense national attention on superstars like Iowa's Caitlin Clark, South Carolina's Camila Cardoso and LSU's Angel Reese.
Additionally, this year's women's tournament is seeing record TV viewership, not to mention an unprecedented amount of sports betting on the Elite Eight matchup between Iowa and LSU.
But perhaps the best evidence that women's basketball has entered the mainstream is when it was featured in the opening skit of “Saturday Night Live.”
“SNL” cast member Heidi Gardner stole the scene with her hilarious impression of LSU women's basketball coach Kim Mulkey, poking fun at Mulkey's iconic costume, saying, “I had this custom made. I just said, “Make it look like the Riddler did it.'' Go to Talbot. ”
Follow the madness: NCAA basketball brackets, scores, schedules, teams, and more.
Gardner also noted Mulkey's reputation as a tough disciplinarian.
“I make my daughters work hard every day,” she said. “I'll have them run 16 miles breathing gas in the Louisiana swamps. Then we'll do full-contact drills. And if they don't see the hustle, I'm going to throw a live alligator onto the court.”
And, in a running joke throughout the segment, neither Mulkey, played by Gardner, nor Kenan Thompson, played by Charles Barkley, could remember which two schools would face off in the boys' final.
There is a growing consensus among many basketball experts that women's games are more interesting to watch than men's games.
From an entertainment standpoint, this week's “Saturday Night Live” writers seem to agree.