Between Caitlin Clark earning the All-Time NCAA scoring title, the most viewed women’s championship game in league history, and stunning performances from teams nationwide, this past season of women’s college basketball broke records left and right. With the new light being shined on the sport, the future looks bright at both the college and professional levels.
The world of women’s basketball caught on fire this spring during the women’s NCAA tournament, and what an exciting few weeks it was!
Last year, Caitlin Clark became a household name for her record-breaking scoring range and accuracy. This year, with the greater platform women’s basketball has fought tooth and nail for, more incredible athletes leapt into the spotlight alongside Clark. As a former player, I must say it is a truly remarkable time for the sport – I imagine years from now, we will look back on the 2023-24 season as the start of a new level of visibility and support for women’s basketball.
An Overview
So, what all went down during the tournament and what should you know? First, they set a key record for viewership during the championship game between South Carolina and Iowa. CNN reports that the game “drew nearly 19 million average viewers, shattering records to become the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever measured by Nielsen.” It also served as “the most-viewed basketball game of the past five years, outpacing any NBA contest during that period.”
(I highly recommend visiting the linked CNN article at the bottom of this blog to see some charts highlighting just how much viewership has grown in the past two years compared to past women’s championships.)
More specifically on the Caitlin Clark front, during this season she became the All-Time NCAA scoring leader (of men’s and women’s), passing Pete Maravich and Lynette Woodard. To peruse the long list of other records Clark broke during her college career (it’s quite a lot), Sporting News has an excellent list compiled at the link in the sources below.
We should say a big thank you to Caitlin Clark for this increase in viewership as South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, the reigning champion and former gold medalist, did. But while Clark’s celebrity may have drawn viewers, they certainly would not have stayed if not for the riveting games and impressive talent coming through the whole league.
Let’s take a look at the scores of Clark’s Iowa against their final tournament competitors:
Elite Eight Iowa vs. LSU – 94-87 (Win)
Final Four Iowa vs. UConn – 71-69 (Win)
Championship South Carolina vs. Iowa – 87-75 (Loss)
These were some nailbiters, and I can confirm that in my house, we watched from the edge of our seats! Clark’s world-class talent certainly found its match with outstanding performances from LSU’s Angel Reese, UConn’s Paige Bueckers, and South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso.
Even with Clark now heading to the WNBA, I believe women’s college basketball has gained a generation of new fans. We will likely see that rise of viewership take effect for years to come as well as a continuation of this high-caliber gameplay and talent.
Going to the Pros
While there’s plenty to look forward to at the college level (looking at you Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins), we don’t totally have to say goodbye to these graduating athletes, since many of them are going on to the WNBA! And with the next season beginning in May, the wait for their rookie debuts will not last too long.
Clark, as the first-round draft pick, has now signed on with the Indiana Fever. As a Midwesterner, I cannot say I’m upset to have her close by for home games. Her Iowa teammate Kate Martin was also drafted, continuing her career with the Las Vegas Aces. Some other draft highlights include Stanford’s Cameron Brink and Tennessee’s Rickea Jackson headed to the Los Angeles Sparks. Additionally, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, both forces in the paint, will be joining the Chicago Sky.
If you have never followed the WNBA, there’s no better time than now to find a team and start watching with all this new talent and recognition. I can guarantee this is only the beginning. With 2.45 million people tuning in on April 15 to make it the most viewed WNBA draft ever, the future of women’s professional basketball remains bright as it heads in a direction I cannot wait to see. And maybe Caitlin Clark will break some more records along the way.
Sources:
How women’s NCAA basketball and Caitlin Clark broke viewership records, in three charts | CNN
Caitlin Clark records: Full list of every NCAA game, tournament, career mark broken by Iowa star | Sporting News
2024 WNBA Draft: First-round grades, full results as Caitlin Clark goes No. 1 to Indiana Fever – CBSSports.com
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