In a historic moment, the women’s NCAA basketball final drew more viewers than the men’s final for the first time in 42 years. The women’s national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa had a total of 18.9 million viewers, peaking at 24.1 million in the final 15 minutes, breaking records for women’s college basketball. This surpassed the viewership of the men’s final the following day, which had 14.8 million viewers.
The standout player of the women’s final was Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who scored 30 points in her team’s loss to South Carolina. Clark’s exceptional talent and performances throughout the season garnered significant attention and contributed to the increased viewership of women’s college basketball games. She finished the season as the highest scoring collegiate basketball player in history, surpassing records set by men’s basketball legends like Pete Maravich.
Clark’s success on the court was fueled by a desire to prove herself after her team’s loss in the previous year’s finals. She is expected to be the top pick in the upcoming WNBA draft and has the potential to bring further attention and support to women’s basketball. Despite the success of the women’s tournament, the WNBA still faces financial challenges compared to the NBA, with significantly lower revenue and media coverage.
Despite the existing disparities, the growing popularity of women’s basketball, fueled in part by players like Clark, is evident in the increasing ticket sales and prices for WNBA games. Ticket resellers have reported a significant uptick in sales for next season, with prices for Fever games, where Clark is expected to play, significantly higher than previous seasons. This increase in interest and support for women’s basketball could potentially have a positive impact on the future of the sport.
The success of the women’s tournament this year has sparked discussions about the status of women’s sports in comparison to men’s. While the women’s championship game drew more viewers than major sporting events like the World Series and NBA finals, there is still work to be done to achieve equality in coverage, revenue, and overall support for women’s sports. The upcoming WNBA season, with the addition of players like Clark, will serve as a test for whether women’s sports can continue to grow and thrive.
In contrast to the women’s tournament, the men’s college basketball final did not receive as much attention, with the Connecticut Huskies winning their second-straight championship over Purdue. Despite the lack of headline-grabbing moments in the men’s final, the focus remains on the progress and potential future success of women’s basketball, as exemplified by the remarkable achievements of players like Caitlin Clark.
