1 week Ago
The days of Caitlin Clark leading the Iowa Hawkeyes are over. Unsurprisingly, that means the team's TV ratings will take a bit of a hit. On Nov.
6, Iowa started its season with an 18-point victory over Northern Illinois. Lucy Olsen led the charge for the Hawkeyes with 19 points. Hannah Stuelke chipped in with 11 points and six rebounds.
Just four days later, Iowa took on Virginia Tech in a highly-anticipated matchup. Olsen once again led her team in scoring, dropping 20 points on the Hokies. It was reported this week that ESPN2 drew 209,000 viewers for the Iowa-Virginia Tech game.
Iowa's most recent game against Toledo, meanwhile, had 136,000 viewers on Big Ten Network. For reference, Iowa drew 583,000 viewers for its first game of the 2023-24 season. This is just another reminder of how impactful Clark has been over the past few years.
Last season, 18.7 million viewers watched Iowa's national title game against South Carolina. If you don't include the Olympics, it was the second most-watched women's sporting event in United States history.
Prior to the national title game, Iowa and UConn drew 14.2 million viewers for their Final Four matchup. The numbers show just how big of a draw Clark is.
Steph Chambers/Getty Images Now that Clark is no longer playing college hoops, the WNBA is benefiting from her popularity. If she continues to develop properly with the Indiana Fever, the league will reach new heights in no time. As for the Hawkeyes, they'll try to prove they can field a national title contender even without the NCAA's all-time leading scorer.
Iowa will be back in action this Sunday against Drake. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
ET. Related: Caitlin Clark Could Participate In 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend.
