Iowa’s Elite 8 win over LSU was the most watched women’s college basketball game EVER after an average of 12.3 million viewers tuned in to watch Caitlin Clark’s 41-point heroics

Iowa’s Elite 8 win over LSU on Monday became the most-watched women’s basketball game.

On Tuesday, Joe Pompliano reported that ESPN’s broadcast averaged 12.3 million viewers.

The Iowa-LSU showdown surpassed USC’s title win over Louisiana Tech in 1983, averaging 11.84 million viewers on CBS. The 1976 final, in which Texas defeated USC, trailed the CBS broadcast with 11.22 million.

The rematch of last year’s national championship game has now placed Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and their teams in two top-five spots.

In the 2023 title game, LSU got the better of the Hawkeyes with a 102-85 win. The game was seen by an average of 9.92 million viewers.

Caitlin Clark led the Hawkeyes to victory with 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds

Their long-awaited rematch for a spot in the Final Four had a different outcome, as Clark’s shooting proved too overwhelming for the Tigers. Clark stunned the opposition with 41 points to lead Iowa to a 94-87 victory.

Before the NCAA Tournament, Clark averaged 31.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.9 assists per game as a senior and will likely be the first overall pick of the Indiana Fever in April’s WNBA Draft.

Another highlight of her season came when Clark broke Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record on March 3. In a game against Ohio State, Clark surpassed Pistol Pete’s 3,667 career points by reaching 3,685.

Clark and the Hawkeyes face the UConn Huskies in the Final Four on Friday as they look to cap off a stellar season with a title.

On the other hand, NC State and South Carolina will battle for the other spot in the April 7 championship game.