Women’s NCAA title game outdraws the men’s championship with an average of 18.9 million viewers

The women’s NCAA championship game drew a bigger television audience than the men’s title game for the first time, with an average of 18.9 million viewers watching undefeated South Carolina beat Iowa and superstar Caitlin Clark, according to ratings released Tuesday. The Sunday afternoon game on ABC and ESPN outdrew Monday’s men’s final between UConn … Read more

What are the next steps for women’s college basketball after title game drew 18.9 million?

South Carolina’s 87-75 victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the women’s NCAA championship game averaged 18.9 million viewers on ABC and ESPN, making it the second most-watched non-Olympic women’s sporting event on U.S. television. The audience for Sunday’s game — where the Gamecocks capped an undefeated season by winning their fourth national title and … Read more

18.7 million: Early figures from NCAA women’s title game make it most-watched hoops game in 5 years

BRISTOL, Conn. — South Carolina’s victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in Sunday’s women’s NCAA championship game had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN. The only sporting events in the United States to draw a bigger TV audience since 2019 have been , the World Cup and the Olympics. The … Read more

South Carolina finishes off perfect season with NCAA championship

CLEVELAND — Dawn Staley and South Carolina completed their perfect season, ending Caitlin Clark’s historic college career with an 87-75 win over Iowa in the NCAA championship game Sunday. With Staley directing a relentless attack from the sideline, the Gamecocks (38-0) became the 10th Division I team to go through a season without a loss. … Read more

Caitlin Clark leads Iowa rally for 71-69 win over UConn in women’s Final Four

CLEVELAND — Caitlin Clark eventually found a way. Completely shut down in the first half, the most exciting player in women’s college basketball now has one game left in her storied career at Iowa. She’ll try to cap it off by bringing the Hawkeyes their first national championship. Clark scored 21 points and made three … Read more

Caitlin Clark leads Iowa back to Final Four, scoring 41 points in 94-87 win over defending champ LSU

ALBANY, N.Y. — Caitlin Clark made nine 3-pointers and finished with 41 points and 12 assists in a sensational performance as Iowa knocked defending national champion LSU out of the women’s NCAA Tournament with a 94-87 victory on Monday night, advancing the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final Four. Top-seeded Iowa (33-4) will play either … Read more

Women’s NCAA Tournament games in Portland played on court with mismatched 3-point lines

PORTLAND, Ore. — The 3-point line for the women’s NCAA Tournament at Moda Center had a discrepancy in distance at each end of the court that went unnoticed through four games over two days before Texas and North Carolina State were informed of the problem ahead of their Elite Eight matchup on Sunday. The teams’ … Read more

USC’s JuJu Watkins is in the March Madness spotlight ahead of Sweet 16 against Baylor

PORTLAND, Ore. — For USC coach Lindsay Gottlieb, the JuJu Watkins phenomenon became plainly evident on a road trip this season when a quick autograph session snowballed. After a game in Colorado, the Trojans noticed a young autograph seeker waiting outside the team bus. Watkins was asked to oblige and all the sudden there was … Read more

Utah coach says team was shaken after experiencing racist hate during NCAA Tournament

SPOKANE, Wash. — Utah coach Lynne Roberts said her team experienced a series of “racial hate crimes” after arriving at its first NCAA Tournament hotel and was forced to change accommodations during the event for safety concerns. Roberts revealed what happened after Utah lost to Gonzaga in the second round of the NCAAs on Monday … Read more

Caitlin Clark behind increased betting interest in women’s college basketball

LAS VEGAS — Caitlin Clark’s audacious logo 3-pointers and record-breaking accomplishments have driven sports fans who previously wouldn’t walk across the street to watch women’s basketball to set their DVRs for Iowa games. Bettors have taken an interest, too, using some of their discretionary money on Clark and the Hawkeyes, the top seed in the … Read more