It was a good season for women’s basketball, and the numbers tell the story.
Last Sunday afternoon’s NCAA Tournament championship game between South Carolina and Iowa drew an average of 18.9 million viewers, and in the game’s final 15 minutes, viewership peaked at 24.1 million.
For the first time ever, more people tuned in to watch the women’s title game than the men’s title game, which averaged just 14.8 million viewers Monday night to see UConn beat Purdue for its second straight national title.
Many people tuned in to see Iowa’s Caitlin Clark play for one final time in a Hawkeye uniform. Even though Iowa lost 87-75, Caitlin Clark turned in an “average” performance of 30 points -- she averaged 31.6 points per game -- and South Carolina showed it may be the next dynasty in women’s college basketball.
Clark was a must-see phenomenon this season, putting up 35-foot shots “from the logo” with the same ease it would take for me to shoot a layup. People were paying hundreds of dollars for tickets to attend Iowa games. Many more at home were turning on the television each time she took the floor.
There will be plenty more chances to see Clark play this calendar year. The WNBA Draft is Monday, when all signs are pointing to the Indiana Fever selecting Clark with the No. 1 pick. As a result, the Fever will have 36 of their 40 games on the league’s national broadcast schedule, more than any other team in the league.
Don’t forget the Paris Olympics are quickly approaching, and if Team USA is smart, they’ll place Clark on the women’s basketball roster. Perhaps she’ll go from national treasure to global icon.
Women’s basketball has never been more popular.
Now it’s time to see the Caitlin Clark effect trickle to the lower levels.
This past high school season had one of the lower turnouts in recent years in terms of roster size for girls teams. A number of programs were unable to have a JV season, and some that did have a JV season were only able to play two-quarter games, just so players didn’t exceed the maximum number of quarters they could play in a season.
It’s common for Class 1 or Class 2 schools to not have a JV team, simply because the school’s enrollment size can make that a tough task. But when Class 3 or Class 4 schools either don’t have a JV team or have an abbreviated JV season, well, enrollment isn’t the reason.
I know injuries can make a big impact on that, and certainly during the winter, illness can be a factor, too. I just hope it’s not because of a lack of interest.
If that’s the case, we need Caitlin Clark more now than ever.
During the basketball season, I saw plenty of photos and videos posted by parents that showed their daughters watching Clark’s games, whether it was in person or on TV. They were mesmerized by her play. Clark took the time to sign autographs for her fans, embracing her popularity.
My hope is this is only the beginning. The next Caitlin Clark is already out there, taking shot after shot on the basketball goal in the driveway.
It was a good season for women’s basketball, and the numbers tell the story.