In Albany, New York, the Iowa Hawkeyes soared to unprecedented heights with their victory over the Louisiana State University Tigers, setting a new record for the most-watched women’s basketball game.
According to The Athletic, the game attracted an average of 12.3 million viewers and peaked at 16 million, surpassing the previous record set during last year’s NCAA championship game when LSU defeated Iowa with 9.9 million average viewers and 12.6 million peak viewers.
Iowa’s 94-87 triumph on Monday was fueled by Caitlin Clark‘s remarkable performance. The Washington Post reported that Clark scored 41 points, achieving her 13th 40-point-plus game in her career. She also tied an NCAA tournament single-game record by sinking nine three-pointers. With this victory, the team advances to the Final Four for the third time in the university’s history.
As she exited the game, LSU Coach Kim Mulkey had high praise for Clark, telling her, “I sure am glad you’re leaving. Girl, you something else. Never seen anything like it,” as reported by The Post. Clark, set to enter the WNBA draft after this season, has consistently delivered record-breaking performances throughout her career.
This latest feat adds to Clark’s impressive resume, as she holds the title of the team’s all-time leading scorer, averaging 28.3 points per game. In February, she made headlines by scoring 49 points against Michigan, surpassing Kelsey Plum as the NCAA Division I all-time leading women’s scorer and breaking a 54-year record previously held by NBA legend Pete Maravich for most points scored by a Division I basketball player, regardless of gender.
“She is what we expected,” Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder said in 2020 after Clark’s debut in an Iowa Hawkeye victory. “She is so good with the ball in her hands, and she can score in so many different areas. She is going to get better…. I think you will have even more fun seeing her in the future because you will see her passing skills a little more. We all know what an offensive threat she is.”
