On Monday night the Iowa Hawkeyes and LSU Tigers women’s basketball teams faced off in a rematch of the 2023 NCAA women’s national championship game. That game set viewership records with an average of 9.9 million viewers and peaked at 12.6 million.
The Elite 8 showdown shattered those numbers. According to a report from Scooby Axson of USA TODAY Sports, this game was the most-watched women’s basketball game ever with 16.1 million viewers.
According to ESPN, the game drew the second-most viewers of any basketball game since 2012.
Caitlin Clark got a bit of redemption from last year after pouring in 41 points with 7 rebounds and 12 assists. She continues to set records in her swan song season as Clark is set to take her talents to the WNBA following the season.
Likewise, Angel Reese of LSU announced that she would also head to the professional level after the Tigers’ defeat at the hands of Iowa.
Next up for the Hawkeyes will be another rematch. Clark and Iowa will take on Paige Bueckers and the UConn Huskies in the Final Four. The Huskies defeated Iowa 92-72 in the 2021 Sweet 16. Clark scored 21 in that game while Bueckers scored 18.
Recently, UConn’s head coach Geno Auriemma called Bueckers the “best player in the country.” It will all get settled on the court in this matchup of two basketball powerhouses. The winner will face off with the winner of South Carolina-North Carolina State in the national championship on Sunday.