When you talk about March Madness, it is mostly about the men’s side of the bracket, not the women’s. According to NCAA.com, the average men’s March Madness game has 10.1 million viewers compared to Women’s basketball whose highest viewer count was 4.4 million viewers previous to this year.
However, after the Iowa Hawkeye rising star Caitlin Clark broke the all-time scoring record for women’s college basketball, everyone has wanted to see her play. The Final Four game between UConn and Iowa reached 14.4 million viewers and the championship game between South Carolina and Iowa achieved 17 million viewers, both shattering the previous record. However, with her leaving Iowa to go to the WNBA, how will NCAAW be without her and what type of legacy did Caitlin Clark leave?
“I watched Caitlin Clark throughout the women’s tournament,” Morgan Duff ’26 said. “Even though the season is over, the legacy she left will continue to inspire not only the current female generation but the generations to come.”
Caitlin Clark had a generational season this year averaging over 30 points a game and making shots from the logo on half-court. With the Iowa Hawkeyes coming short of a title for the second year in a row and Clark graduating and entering the WNBA draft, a huge question has been left on how women’s college basketball will be seen in the future.
“Clark has helped create a fanbase for women’s basketball that I don’t foresee going away,” teacher Shannon Sugamele said. “When people tuned in to watch Caitlin, other talented female basketball players also received massive recognition. Many players will be playing again next year, whether it’s collegiate or professional basketball, and they now have fans who will follow them.”
The legacy Clark left on the league has boosted not only viewership to another level but the recognition of women’s sports was at an all-time high as well. The Women’s championship game brought in more viewers than either of the men’s Final Four games and the ticket pricing for the NCAAW Championship game cost more than the men’s final.
“Even though Clark will be in the WNBA her legacy will be remembered forever,” Sugamele said. “It’s not just about her talent on the court, but the things she does off the court to help inspire the next generation of female basketball players is something special.”
