Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes carved their names into the annals of sports activities historical past on Friday night time, not simply by edging out the UConn Huskies in a nail-biting 71-69 victory, however by doing so in entrance of ESPN’s largest viewers ever for a basketball recreation.
The semifinal conflict, a part of the ladies’s faculty basketball match, has now develop into the most-watched recreation within the sport’s historical past on the community, surpassing all prior information for viewership, in response to ESPN.
Based on Nielsen Quick Nationals, the semifinal conflict between the powerhouse applications captivated audiences like by no means earlier than, with a report 14.2 million viewers, and peaked at 17 million.
This telecast not solely stands as ESPN’s highest viewers for a basketball recreation but additionally ranks because the community’s second-best non-football telecast thus far. Moreover, it’s been topped the most-viewed faculty occasion ever on ESPN+.
Based on Joe Pompliano, “At 14.2 million viewers, last night’s Iowa-UConn game averaged more viewers than: • Any women’s CBB game ever • Every 2023 NBA Finals game • Every 2023 World Series game • The 2023 Orange Bowl • The 2023 Big Ten Championship • The 2023 Cotton Bowl • The 2023 Pac-12 Championship • The 2023 Big-12 Championship • The 2023 ACC Championship • The 2023 Peach Bowl • The 2023 Masters Final Round • The 2023 Daytona 500 • The 2023 Indianapolis 500 • Every tennis grand slam final (men’s & women’s) • Every 2023 CFB regular season game except one Even crazier, there is a legitimate chance that this year’s women’s national championship game draws more viewers than the men’s.”
At 14.2 million viewers, final night time’s Iowa-UConn recreation averaged extra viewers than:
• Any girls’s CBB recreation ever
• Each 2023 NBA Finals recreation
• Each 2023 World Collection recreation
• The 2023 Orange Bowl
• The 2023 Huge Ten Championship
• The 2023 Cotton Bowl
• The 2023 Pac-12… pic.twitter.com/ydDOaNpYjR— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) April 6, 2024
Iowa’s star guard, Caitlin Clark, confronted immense strain as essentially the most thrilling expertise within the girls’s recreation. After a difficult first half, Clark erupted for 21 factors, together with three important 3-pointers that swung the momentum in Iowa’s favor and secured a nail-biting 71-69 victory over the Huskies.
Watch the highlights:
Clark’s efficiency this season has been nothing short of legendary. The Hawkeyes’ guard has collected a treasure trove of accolades, setting information:
- Iowa’s all-time main scorer
- Document-holder for many 30-point video games by any participant in Division I over the previous 25 seasons
- Huge Ten and Iowa’s all-time chief in assists
- Division I girls’s profession scoring chief
- Set the NCAA single-season report for 3-pointers
- First Division I girl to surpass 1,000 factors in two separate seasons
Now, the Hawkeyes (34-4) put together for a titanic encounter with the undefeated South Carolina Gamecocks in what guarantees to be a riveting nationwide championship showdown. This anticipated matchup is projected to draw an viewers of 20 million viewers on Sunday.
South Carolina is in search of redemption after final yr’s semifinal loss to Iowa — a defeat that preceded the Hawkeyes’ personal championship heartbreak in opposition to LSU. Nonetheless, this yr, Iowa managed to beat LSU. Supported by Clark’s spectacular 41 factors and 12 assists, Iowa secured a victory in opposition to LSU with a rating of 94-87 on the MVP Area in Albany, N.Y., final Monday.
The stage is ready for Caitlin Clark to guide her staff to the zenith of school basketball. With one recreation remaining in her illustrious Iowa tenure, a nationwide title would immortalize her legacy and etch the 2024 Hawkeyes into the annals of sports activities historical past.
