Caitlin Clark is the real deal. If you were one of the 12.3 million Americans – plus countless more worldwide – who watched Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes defeat the LSU Tigers 94-87 on April 1, during the semifinals of the women’s version of March Madness, you saw greatness in action.
You were also part of history. That game drew the most eyeballs for any college basketball game ever shown on ESPN, including the Men’s Division I Basketball Tournament. It also outdrew every MLB, NHL and MLS game on the Worldwide Leader, and almost every NBA and college football game as well.
If that weren’t impressive enough, Friday’s title matchup between Iowa and undefeated South Carolina did even better. That game drew 18.9 million viewers on ABC/ESPN, even more than the 14.8 million who watched UConn defeat Purdue in the men’s version of the Big Dance.
Those big numbers mean big business for ESPN, and the NCAA, and all the online sportsbooks, who brought in record handle for these matchups. How has this uber-talented woman managed to dominate the banking news like no one since Cleopatra? Let’s travel back in time to the mid-Aughts, where a couple from West Des Moines, Iowa is starting to figure out the answer.
For the first time in history, the NCAA women’s basketball title game drew more viewers than the men’s. pic.twitter.com/DTJbevFpBh
— Front Office Sports (@FOS) April 9, 2024
Who Is Caitlin Clark?
Clark is the daughter of Anne and Brent Clark, who welcomed the new addition to their family on January 22, 2002. It wasn’t long before they realized Caitlin wasn’t like the other girls. Her daycare reported that Caitlin was much more athletic and competitive, with unusually advanced motor skills for a toddler.
By the time she was five, Caitlin was competing against boys in recreational basketball, since there weren’t any girls’ leagues for her age at the time. Caitlin played all the other sports, too, but she made the most progress in basketball; she joined an AAU team, the All Iowa Attack, at age 13, then played varsity at Dowling Catholic High before committing to Iowa.
Right from the opening tip, Caitlin was a superstar. She started her first freshman game at point guard and scored 27 points (with eight rebounds and four assists) in a 96-81 victory over Northern Iowa. And she never stopped scoring; Caitlin’s 30 points during Iowa’s 87-75 loss to South Carolina gave her the NCAA Tournament career record, after Caitlin had already broken Pete Maravich’s Division I record for the regular season.
Why Are So Many People Watching?
Clark is a big reason, but this story is bigger than her. Women’s sports have exploded in popularity over the past five years in particular, as media companies like ESPN latch on to their potential for growth. The more money they invest in women’s sports, the more the quality of play improves; then more people watch, more money comes in and gets re-invested, and here we are today.
At least in theory. The NCAA has been a bit slow to get the women’s Tournament operating at the same efficiency as the men’s Tournament; it wasn’t until 2021 that they finally caved in and started branding the women’s event as March Madness, eventually inking a fat eight-year, $920-million contract with ESPN.
Then you had the nasty situation last month in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, where the Utah Utes women’s team was forced to stay because Gonzaga didn’t have enough room for them in Spokane. And you had the improperly drawn 3-point line during the Sweet 16 games in Portland. The quality of officiating at this year’s Tournament was also very poor, although that’s a larger issue that’s plaguing all sports these days.
Will People Keep Watching?
Now that Caitlin has finished up at Iowa, the numbers for women’s college hoops are expected to dip next year – but still remain strong overall compared to 2019.
Meanwhile, Caitlin is about to join the world’s most recognized basketball league for women, the WNBA. She will be the presumptive No. 1 pick for the Indiana Fever on Monday, April 15 at the 2024 WNBA Draft, which will also be shown on ESPN.
The Caitlin Clark effect is already coming to the WNBA – and she hasn’t even been drafted yet 👀
via @FOS pic.twitter.com/JTlaGagc9F— THE SHIFT (@theshift_sports) April 10, 2024
The WNBA has often played second fiddle to women’s leagues in Europe, which have longer histories and deeper pockets; the WNBA salary cap dictates that Caitlin will earn no more than $76,535 in base salary as a rookie. She earned millions in college through NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) deals and various endorsements.
This is why so many sports leagues across North America were eager to enforce salary caps over the past 20 years. It’s also why so many companies are latching onto these leagues as growth opportunities. Paying Caitlin and others a fraction of what they’re worth may be good for business in the short term, but it’s bad for sports, and this golden goose can only take so much.
