Caitlin Clark has taken the basketball world by storm with her shooting prowess and ability to put on a show for the fans. The craze for the college player has reached superstar heights and students have been flocking to the gym to watch her in action. Recently, Clark was in contention to become the NCAA’s leading scorer in the history of the association by surpassing Pete Maravich. The expectation of breaking the record against Ohio State made it the most-watched women’s basketball game in the last 14 years.
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The basketball phenomenon has swayed the fans toward women’s basketball and forced all the media’s attention to her performance. The Sunday game between Ohio State and Iowa saw the viewership rise to new heights beating the viewership of the NBA‘s Golden State Warriors versus Boston Celtics on ABC the same day. An opportunity to witness Caitlin Clark had an average of 3.39 million viewers tuned into Fox.
The Iowa-Ohio State game on Sunday averaged 3.39 million viewers on Fox, per @paulsen_smw.
That makes it the most-watch regular season women’s college basketball game in 14+ years and it even outdrew ABC’s Warriors-Celtics game on the same day.
The Caitlin Clark effect is real. pic.twitter.com/5RIazJOMyw
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) March 5, 2024
Not only did Clark set a new record in women’s viewership, but she edged NBA superstars Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum to take top billing on Sunday’s matchup. If viewership did not sway you toward her fandom, the ticket prices for the Ohio State versus Iowa match on Sunday were the most expensive in NCAA Women’s and WNBA history.
This Sunday’s game between #5 Iowa vs. #2 Ohio State is the most expensive ticket in women’s basketball (WNBA or NCAAW) on record
The current get-in for a non-GA ticket is $491
(Via @TickPick ) pic.twitter.com/ukMvDbwdKA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 27, 2024
The students and fans were willing to shell out 491 dollars to watch a college game. The 22-year-old has set new benchmarks for her successors in women’s college basketball as she prepares to go professional and join the WNBA. The young talent has declared for the upcoming WNBA draft and the WNBA franchises would be drooling over the prospect of drafting her services.
Caitlin Clark takes over college basketball
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has transformed women’s basketball with her Curry-esque shooting ability and range. She is a prolific scorer and knows how to put on a show for the fans. The young player has all the makings of a WNBA superstar and will soon be in action amongst the best in the game. However, until then, every time she steps on the college court, it will be an addition to the history books.
Clark entered the Sunday game 18 points shy of becoming the highest scorer in NCAA’s history. The record was previously held by Pete Maravich (3,667 points) and was unbroken for five decades. With her 35-point performance against Ohio State, she now stands alone with 3,685 points and counting. The player also broke the NCAA women’s 3-point record in a single season and is now well within reach of breaking Steph Curry’s record for overall NCAA basketball.
With her dynamic performances and pleasant personality, Caitlin Clark is ready to become the next big thing in Women’s basketball and the fans are all here for it.
