Caitlin Clark Reacts to NCAA Tournament Viewership Record

Caitlin Clark has been one of the most talked about figures in sports this year, as the Iowa Hawkeyes guard has been on a tear. Her immense skill has transcended the sport, leading to her inspiring millions of people around the world.

It wasn’t just Clark, though. Players like South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, USC’s JuJu Watkins, and LSU’s Angel Reese have led to a huge uptick in viewership and attention for women’s basketball. When LSU and Iowa faced off in the Final Four, the game saw a record 12.3 million viewers, which beat out a lot of professional sports, including the World Series and most of the NBA Finals.

Once Iowa and Clark took down LSU, the stage was set for them to face UConn in the Final Four. This game drew an even more impressive 14.2 million viewers and set up a rematch between Iowa and South Carolina. Last year, Iowa and South Carolina faced off in the Final Four, and Clark and company got the better of them, ruining their undefeated season.

This National Championship game featured much of the same. Iowa fought tooth and nail to get back to the final game. South Carolina was on a roll with an undefeated record. However, Clark would not realize her goal of securing a national title. The Gamecocks took down the Hawkeyes with a final score of 87-75.

The matchup belonged to the Gamecocks, but it showcased elite skill from players on both teams. The result of that skill led to yet another record-breaking viewership, which caught the attention of Clark herself.

Her simple X post reads “18.7 MILLION,” which is coupled with a fire emoji. While everyone had been majorly impressed with the 12.3 million viewership for the prior game, the National Championship viewership blew that number out of the water. Not only did the game see 18.7 million viewers, it also topped out at 24.7 million.

This is an 89% increase from the 2023 title matchup. Clark has immense star power — including among her opponents, who helped to deliver an instant classic of a match.

It cannot be denied that Clark has changed the game. Even South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley took time out of celebrating her program’s big win to thank Clark for her contributions to the sport. Sadly, this will be the final time that she will step foot on the NCAA court.

Clark is slated for the WNBA Draft and is expected to go number-1 overall to the Indiana Fever. It’s likely that her first game at the professional level might also break some viewership records. She is just that popular and beloved of a sports figure, and watching her story unfold has been incredible.