The “Caitlin Clark Effect” was in full effect Monday night.
Clark helped the Iowa Hawkeyes to a 94-87 win over LSU and her dominant presence was the reason why the game the most-watched women’s college basketball game on record, according to ESPN.
The game averaged 12.3 million viewers on ESPN, according to Neilsen. The number of viewers eclipsed the 11.84 million who watched the 1983 NCAA championship game between Southern California and Louisiana Tech. That game featured the legendary Cheryl Miller for USC and LSU coach Kim Mulkey played for Louisiana Tech.
Clark’s four games in the women’s NCAA tournament on ESPN and ABC have averaged 6.83 million. Iowa’s 89–68 win over Colorado on Saturday on ESPN averaged 6.9 million viewers, the network’s highest ever for a women’s Sweet 16 game and the third most-viewed women’s tournament game since ESPN started carrying the tournament in 1996.