As long as Caitlin Clark is around, a date inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena is the hottest ticket in women’s college basketball.
The Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Iowa has put a pause on season ticket sales due to overwhelming demand. Per Leistikow, the season-ticket base for Iowa women’s basketball last season was 6,500 tickets.
Iowa’s NCAA Tournament run has already resulted in 6,700 new season-ticket requests. Matt Henderson, Iowa’s deputy director of athletics for external relations who oversees ticket sales, said half of that figure came between the Sweet 16 and Final Four run.
“We’re going to do our best so that those fans who want to support women’s basketball at Iowa get that opportunity,” said Henderson.
Everybody wants to see the Hawkeyes 🎟️📈@IowaWBB | @espnW pic.twitter.com/KcqAJqNx6c
— ESPN (@espn) April 6, 2023
Iowa averaged 11,143 fans per game inside Carver this past season, setting a Big Ten record for home attendance in the process. The Hawkeyes appear primed to welcome in sellout crowds for every game next season.
The capacity number for women’s basketball games inside Carver last season was 15,056. Combining the existing season-ticket holders with new season-ticket requests brings the total number of season-ticket holders for the 2023-24 season to 13,200 already.
Then, as Leistikow touches upon, there’s student tickets that would still need to be factored in and the opportunity for existing season-ticket holders to add to their current allotments.
After capping the best season in program history, fans are understandably excited about what lies ahead for the Hawkeyes. Iowa made its second all-time Final Four appearance and advanced to the national championship game for the first time in program history.
The Hawkeyes fell to the LSU Tigers in the national championship game, 102-85. But, it was Iowa’s upset victory over previously unbeaten South Carolina that demonstrated to the nation the full powers of Caitlin Clark.
En route to the Final Four, Iowa dispatched of Southeastern Louisiana, Georgia, Colorado and then Louisville to capture the Seattle 4 Region crown.
“I think the biggest thing is it’s really, really special. I don’t think it’s going to set in for me for quite some time. I want my legacy to be the impact that I can have on young kids and the people in the state of Iowa, and I hope I brought them a lot of joy this season.
“I hope this team brought them a lot of joy. I understand we came up one win short, but I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to celebrate. I was just that young girl, so all you have to do is dream, and you can be in moments like this,” Clark said immediately following the Hawkeyes’ NCAA Tournament run.
With Clark returning alongside fellow starters Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall, there’s every reason to believe that Iowa will once again be one of the Big Ten’s best and a threat to return to the Final Four in 2024.
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