March Madness: The Caitlin Clark Effect Is Massive in 2024 NCAA Tournament

(Photo : Matthew Holst/Getty Images) IOWA CITY, IOWA- Guard Caitlin Clark (#22) of the Iowa Hawkeyes gestures to the crowd as she leaves the court after the game against the West Virginia Mountaineers during their second round match-up in the 2024 NCAA Division 1 Women's Basketball Championship at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on March 25, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa.

More eyes are tuned in to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament more than ever.

The Iowa Hawkeyes are leading the charge in breaking viewership records for women's basketball, especially with their star guard Caitlin Clark, who holds the title of the NCAA's all-time leading scorer in both men's and women's basketball, competing in her final NCAA tournament.

Iowa achieved a groundbreaking viewership milestone for a non-Women's Final Four game when 3.23 million viewers watched their first-round matchup against the Holy Cross Crusaders on ABC last Saturday, March 23.

The previous record for viewership in a first-round game stood at 767,000 viewers, set during the UConn vs Mercer matchup on ABC in 2022.

In a remarkable turn of events, the Hawkeyes surpassed their record in just 48 hours, as 4.9 million viewers tuned in to ESPN for their game against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the second round on Monday, March 25.

Iowa claims comfortable wins en route to Sweet 16

The Hawkeyes emerged victorious in both highly-watched games, delivering impressive performances throughout.

Against Holy Cross, they dominated with a commanding 91-65 win, followed by a triumph over West Virginia in a low-scoring contest, securing a final score of 64-54.

During these games, Clark averaged 29.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2.5 steals while maintaining a 39 percent shooting accuracy from the field.