- NCAA. Paige Bueckers draws curious criticism from Geno Auriemma despite UConn's success
- NCAA. Illinois coach suggests to Cooper Flagg to stay in school and 'chase a girl'
Caitlin Clark's impact on the Iowa Hawkeyes shows no sign of slowing down almost one year on from her exit from college basketball, as the NCAA side continues to remain competitive on the court and in the TV ratings.
The 22-year-old last appeared for the team in the national championship game against the South Carolina Gamecocks, which pulled an incredible average viewership of 18.7 million people via ABC and ESPN.
Peaking at 24 million, it was an 89% hike from 2023 and 285% up from 2022, underscoring just how much attention Clark generated through her ridiculous talents as Iowa experienced a surge in prominence, setting new viewership and attendance records.
The 2024 Big Ten Championship game between the side and Nebraska Cornhuskers became the most-watched women's basketball game in 25 years, with three million viewers and a peak of 4.45 million during overtime. This was shortly after Clark smashed the NCAA points scoring records.
Beyond television ratings, her impact extends to live game attendance. The 2023 exhibition game against DePaul at Kinnick Stadium attracted a record-breaking 55,646 fans, setting an NCAA women's basketball attendance record.
In fact, 17 of Iowa's 19 all-time sellouts at Carver-Hawkeye Arena have occurred in just the last three seasons which is the same time the now-WNBA Rookie of the Year began coming into her own as a basketball force.
Even on the road, the Hawkeyes remain a major draw. Attendance at opposing arenas has increased by more than 150% when Iowa visits. On January 22, 2025, the team played in front of 3,380 fans at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
While the February 2nd matchup against USC drew 1.1 million television viewers, making it the fourth most-watched game of the season. The broadcast followed Clark's jersey retirement ceremony, further underscoring her influence.
Clark's tenure at Iowa transformed the program and elevated women's basketball as a whole. Her record-setting career includes becoming the first Division I player to sur 3,000 points and 1,000 assists.
Her playing style, often compared to the Golden State Warriors' Steph Curry's deep shooting and Pete Maravich's creativity, continues to captivate audiences even as she heads into her second season in the WNBA.
Hawkeyes come up short once again
While Clark's departure presents challenges, the Hawkeyes remain a competitive team. However, closing out tight games has proven difficult.
Sitting at 18-9 overall and 8-8 in Big Ten play, Iowa lags behind conference leaders USC (15-1) and UCLA (14-1), mainly because the team has struggled in close contests.
Iowa have lost five games by a single possession and failing to secure any last-second victories and it was the same story against the UCLA Bruins on February 23 as they came up short by just two points on home court.
For the second time this season, the Iowa Hawkeyes had an opportunity to defeat a top-ten opponent but were unable to close out the game, suffering a 67-65 loss after relinquishing a double-digit second-half lead.
With two games remaining before the season finale, Iowa still has a chance to make its case for a spot in the NCAA Tournament. The question remains: Will the selection committee acknowledge the program's continued growth and reward them with a postseason opportunity?