It’s the 35th anniversary of women’s NCAA basketball, and Indianapolis is ready to celebrate.

After hosting the men’s Final Four tournament last year, one might expect the city to feel a bit drained. But that’s not the case. The city is not only hosting this year’s women’s Final Four tournament — they’ve branded the tournament as a celebration of women’s basketball.

Let’s get it started

The festivities started back in November, when the Indiana Sports Corporation put out a video previewing the tournament. They’re using hashtags like #ncaaWFF, #GetINTheGame and #WFinalFour to hype up the event, and there is plenty planned for the weekend.

As long as the tournament is running, so is the party in Indianapolis. From Saturday to Tuesday, Georgia Street will be a big block party complete with music and food trucks.

Dance it off

To start the show, Indianapolis is hosting Friday Night Tipoff Party starting at 7 p.m. in the Indianapolis Convention Center. The free kickoff event will feature an opening reception, fashion show and performance from “Push It” singers Salt-N-Pepa.

Dubbed “Tourney Town” throughout the NCAA event, the convention center is becoming a free fan festival. From Friday to Sunday, it’ll be a hub of basketball clinics, exhibits and displays. Food and tournament merchandise will also be available.

Get your game on

For the sporty crowd that doesn’t want to miss a run while traveling, Indianapolis is hosting its ninth annual 4Kay Run. Despite its name, this is a 5K run that weaves through downtown Indianapolis. Proceeds will benefit cancer research through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, named to honor late North Carolina State University and Olympic women’s basketball coach Kay Yow.

Since tournament attendees are coming for basketball, the NCAA is giving them even more of what they came for. The Lady Legends Basketball Camp provides an opportunity for adults to train with former women NCAA players. Children in the third through eighth grade can brush up on their hoop skills in Youth Clinics. If you’re ready to show off your skills, enter the female-only 3v3 tournament.

There’s another basketball-inspired event on Saturday: the NCAA bounce. Individuals 18 and younger can pick up a ball and dribble their way down Indianapolis’s Georgie Street. The event will also feature Indiana Flash players Briann January and Natalie Achonwa, who will help lead the bounce back to Tourney Town.

Published on March 31, 2016 at 7:48 pm

Contact Kathryn: kjkrawcz@syr.edu | @kathrynkrawczyk