The five most popular women’s collegiate basketball matchups in history

Lights, cameras, Caitlin Clark: Iowa's superstar guard gets prime-time spotlight Saturday on Fox – Chicago Tribune

Over recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of people tuning in to watch women’s college basketball. During the 2023-24 March Madness tournament, the women’s games attracted a larger audience than the men’s.

This rise in viewership can be attributed to the presence of standout athletes such as Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, Paige Bueckers, and JuJu Watkins, who have helped boost interest in the sport. It is anticipated that this upward trend in women’s college basketball viewership will continue into the next year, with Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo emerging as the sport’s leading figures.

Top five most watched women’s college basketball games of all time

1. 2024 South Carolina Gamecocks vs Iowa Hawkeyes – 18.7 million

South Carolina beats Iowa to take home NCAA women's championship title: Highlights
The 2024 NCAA Tournament final drew an average of 18.9 million viewers on ABC and peaked at 24.1 million in the final 15 minutes of the game. It outdrew the men’s final between UConn and Purdue, which saw 14.82 million people tuning in.

The previous record for finals viewership was also recorded by Iowa when it lost to the LSU Tigers in 2023, which had an average of 9.92 million viewers on ABC and ESPN2. The Gamecocks won the title with an undefeated 38-0 season run.

 

2. 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes vs UConn Huskies – 14.2 million

NCAA Final Four scores: Iowa tops UConn in controversial thriller, South Carolina throttles NC State - Yahoo Sports

The Final Four broadcast on ESPN between the Hawkeyes and Huskies drew an average of 14.2 million viewers, peaking at 17 million.

It is now the most-watched basketball game on ESPN. The game is also ESPN’s second-most-watched non-football broadcast, after the 2014 World Cup kick-off between USA and Portugal.

After a season filled with injuries, the Huskies reached the Final Four after much hard work. However, Caitlin Clark, in her final college season at Iowa, was too strong to contain.

 

3. 2024 Iowa Hawkeyes vs LSU Tigers – 12.3 million

Iowa vs. LSU in the Elite Eight: How Hawkeyes, Tigers have evolved since 2023 national championship matchup - CBSSports.com

ESPN broadcast of the Elite Eight game drew an average of 12.3 million viewers with a 16.1 million peak.

The rematch between the 2023 national champions, LSU and the runner-up, Iowa, was the most anticipated game of the tournament. This was the last time rivals Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese played each other in college and will next face off in the WNBA.

 

4. 1983 USC Trojans vs Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters – 11.8 million

This was the most-watched women’s college basketball game and NCAA Final for over 30 years until 2023. The lineup on both teams was stacked with Hall of Fame talent.

USC’s starting five included freshman Cheryl Miller, Cynthia Cooper, Paula McGee, Pam McGee and Rhonda Windham. For Louisiana, it was Lori Scott, Debra Rodman, Janice Lawrence, Jennifer White and Kim Mulkey.

The Trojans won the game, taking home their first-ever NCAA tournament championship.

 

5. 1986 Texas Longhorns vs USC Trojans – 11.2 million

After a second title in 1984 and a Sweet 16 exit in 1985, the USC Trojans were back in the NCAA Tournament finals in 1986.

Cheryl Miller’s final season with USC was touted to end in another ring. However, a passionate Texas ended the Miller time and its undefeated season run became the first such event in NCAA history. The UConn Huskies were the next team to achieve this in 1995, and the latest is the 2024 NCAA Champions, South Carolina.