Caitlin Clark’s Impact: Ratings Dip For Women’s Final Four

We all knew that Caitlin Clark was a star brighter than the entire basketball galaxy. But this year's women's Final Four ratings confirm just how much college basketball misses #22.

Fox News reports that this year's women's Final Four saw a steep drop off from last year's record ratings. The broadcast of the UConn vs. UCLA and South Carolina vs. Texas games averaged around 3.9 million viewers on ESPN. Last year, the number of viewers exceeded 10 million viewers. The missing ingredient? Caitlin Clark.

The news isn't all bad, however. Fox News reports those numbers still represent the second most watched women's Final Four ever, even topping Clark's first Final Four in 2023. It should be interesting to see the numbers for Sunday's National Title game featuring UConn and South Carolina. Last year's title game between Iowa and South Carolina drew a record 19.1 million viewers!

Clark's popularity immediately helped the WNBA see record ratings during her rookie season. The Indiana Fever were the most-watched team in the league according to Fox News. The 14 most-watched games of the year included the Fever. Her playoff games drew 1.84 million and 2.54 million viewers and competed against NFL games! Those are just a few reasons that Clark and the Fever have 41 of 44 games on national TV during the upcoming WNBA season!