The college basketball establishment has changed several visible aspects of the women’s game in an effort to increase its exposure. For instance, Ogunbowale’s shots might have made a larger splash because they came on a Friday and a Sunday — the nights before the men’s semifinals and title game — rather than the Sunday-Tuesday time slots that the women’s Final Four had previously occupied.

That was one of several recommendations made in a paper that Val Ackerman, the first W.N.B.A. president, wrote for the N.C.A.A. in 2013 amid fears of declining attendance, stagnant ratings and a top-heavy women’s tournament. Others included experimental rule changes, such as a 24-second shot clock and toying with a slightly lower rim; considering making women’s basketball a one-semester sport; and even hosting the men’s and women’s Final Fours in the same city (or establishing a multiyear site for the women’s event, much as Omaha always hosts the College World Series).

“The visibility levels are a bit lower than they are in the men’s,” said Ackerman, who is now the Big East commissioner. “It’s just one of the broader challenges.”

Of Ogunbowale, Ackerman added, “The aftermath of that championship for her proved that it can happen, when you have compelling performances on a national stage.”

There is more than one kind of compelling, though. One of this season’s more interesting moments also involved Ogunbowale and occurred when Connecticut visited Notre Dame for a nonconference game in December. During the game, which the Huskies won easily, Ogunbowale received a technical foul when she appeared to have words with Connecticut Coach Geno Auriemma — the latest spat between the two, who once subtweeted one another when Ogunbowale dropped UConn from her list of programs during recruiting.