Women’s Basketball Didn’t Just Have a Moment. It Built a Bigger Business.
Caitlin Clark brought millions of new eyes to women’s basketball. What happened after she left college showed this was becoming something much bigger.
Athletes World
• Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark #22 in Semifinal Game 2 of the NCAA Women’s Final Four tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
• Licensed Photo: Kindell Buchanan / Alamy
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When 18.9 million people watched Caitlin Clark and Iowa face South Carolina for the 2024 national championship, women’s basketball reached an audience it had never seen before. The game became the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record. (ESPN, 2024)
Then Clark left college—and the audience didn't disappear.
By the 2025–26 season, women's college basketball viewership across ESPN networks was up another 19% from the previous year. Clark had helped create an extraordinary surge, but new stars and powerhouse programs were keeping fans interested after her departure. (ESPN, 2026)
Then Clark left college—and the audience didn't disappear.
By the 2025–26 season, women's college basketball viewership across ESPN networks was up another 19% from the previous year. Clark had helped create an extraordinary surge, but new stars and powerhouse programs were keeping fans interested after her departure. (ESPN, 2026)
