Bigger than ever and with the popularity of women's basketball soaring, the Western PA Bruins Spring Tip-Off returns to Pittsburgh this weekend

For more than two decades, John Tate witnessed what he called the “slow growth” of women’s basketball.

Tate, executive director of the Western Pa. Bruins AAU program, said the popularity of the women’s game had been on a slow yet steady climb since the mid-1990s when the original Women’s Dream Team was dominating foes and the WNBA launched.

But all of that has changed over the past few years, most profoundly this season as interest has soared, particularly during an NCAA tournament that produced television ratings that had never before been seen.

“The quality of women’s players that you’re seeing now — Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, South Carolina’s group, Angel Reese and LSU’s group, that UConn group — this is all hitting the crescendo right now, and it’s great to see,” Tate said.

And while you won’t be able to watch another women’s college game this season — South Carolina defeated Iowa for the NCAA title Sunday — some of the game’s future stars will be in Pittsburgh showing off their talents this weekend.

The Western PA Bruins Spring Tip-Off will be held Friday through Sunday at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown. A record 415 teams (fourth through 11th grade) from throughout the country will participate in the event, which debuted in 2015 and is in its ninth year (it was not played in 2020 due to the pandemic).

Just five years ago, Reese and South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso made their way to town to play in the event. This season, both were named NCAA All-Americans and led their teams to deep NCAA tournament runs.

Among the top talents playing in the event this year include Dee Alexander (West Virginia Thunder), Zakiyah Johnson (West Virginia Thunder), Jordyn Jackson (Team Takeover) and Trinity Jones (Team M-XIV). Alexander is ranked No. 4 and Johnson No. 5 in the 2025 class by ESPN HoopGurlz, while Jackson is No. 4 and Jones No. 7 in the 2026 class.

“When you look at the TV numbers and you look at the attendance at the better high school games, I think the fans want to see high-level basketball played by high-level players, and that’s what they’re seeing,” Tate said.

Many of Western Pennsylvania’s top players will take part, as well, one of the strongest teams being the Western Pa. Bruins 17U squad that features Clairton’s Iyanna Wade, Peters Township’s Natalie Wetzel and Kennedy Catholic’s Layke Fields. Wade, who averaged 39.9 points per game her junior season, and Wetzel were both PUP first-team picks, while Fields led Kennedy Catholic to a second consecutive PIAA Class 2A title.

“Based on the level of talent that group has, I expect a lot of attendance for those games,” Tate said.

As the popularity of women’s basketball has taken off, so has interest in the Western Pa. Bruins Tip-Off, which had just 15 teams and played its games at McKeesport High School when the event tipped off in 2015. The David L. Lawrence Convention became home to the event in 2021, and the venue this season will see games played across 40 courts. The 415 teams this year are up from 385 last year.

“It was never even a goal to get it to be this big,” Tate said. “It’s kind of taken on a life of its own. We enjoy it. But it was never a thing where we we’re going to go to the Convention Center or bring 400-plus teams.”

Tickets can be purchased online and at the door, and a full schedule can be found here.