Caitlin Clark secured a spot in the NCAA championship as her Iowa Hawkeyes defeated the UConn Huskies 71-69 in the Final Four. The shifts in momentum throughout the clash kept the audience on the edge of their seats while the viewers’ eyes stayed glued to the screen. This resulted in record-shattering basketball viewership on ESPN as 17 million fans joined to witness Clark’s team triumph.
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The viewership status of the Friday clash became public as ESPN revealed the details on X (formerly Twitter). The game averaged 14.2 million viewers while reaching a peak of 17 million at one point. It marked the most-viewed college event ever on ESPN+ in the process of recording the highest-ever audience for any basketball game.
On top of that, it broke several records across various fields of sports. The game turned into ESPN’s second-best non-football telecast ever. Alongside that, it generated more viewership than any Grand Slam Final in the history of tennis. In fact, it could lead to the women’s national championship game gaining more viewers than the men’s game.
The hype surrounding the game hence remained justified as the fans actively engaged throughout the clash. This has led to a disruption in the basketball circuit, however, the followers stayed far from surprised for one reason.
The impact of Caitlin Clark in shattering the records
Amidst the interest in the feat, the supporters have cited Clark as the major contributor to the achievement. They joined voices on X to voice their thoughts, with one of them claiming to be “The Caitlin Clark effect”.
Another viewer pointed out the uniqueness of the Hawkeyes star while comparing her with legends such as Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. He wrote, “Clark is transcendent. Not since Jordan has a basketball player garnered the attention of the general public. She is smart like Bird and shoots like him too. I have never watched a women’s game until Clark”.
The official handle of AT&T joined the discussion while applauding the efforts of the 22-year-old. They mentioned, “Making history,” to praise the rise of the Iowa-born.
The compliments from the fans add volume to the influence of Clark in the women’s circuit. The followers certainly hope for sustained brilliance as the point guard is set to enter the 2024 WNBA draft. However, her aim may remain to clinch the championship first to end her college career on a high note.
