Television viewing habits have changed dramatically.
It is more difficult to draw big ratings than ever before.
But ESPN just announced one record-setting milestone that will blow your mind to smithereens.
Woke talking heads and self-proclaimed “journalists” in the sports media have been trying for years to spark an interest in women’s basketball.
But the enthusiasm has simply not been there.
The WNBA literally only exists because the NBA completely subsidizes the league, and ESPN’s woke executives chose to broadcast their games to virtually no one for years.
However, women’s college basketball has fared better in the ratings because the teams have built-in fan bases who will support their school’s teams in a spelling bee if it means having some level of bragging rights over their rivals.
The Clark Effect
But women’s basketball has been completely revolutionized and invigorated by the University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
Clark finished her career with the Iowa Hawkeyes as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA history – although, she did also play 50 more games in her college career than the previous record holder, LSU’s Pete Maravich.
Iowa lost in the National Championship game against the University of South Carolina, but ESPN won.
The Iowa-South Carolina game turned out to be the most-watched basketball game on ESPN since 2019.
ESPN reported that “South Carolina’s victory over Caitlin Clark and Iowa in the women’s NCAA championship game Sunday had a preliminary audience average of 18.7 million on ABC and ESPN. . . The audience numbers are expected to increase when Nielsen releases its final numbers Tuesday. Nielsen said the audience peaked at 24 million. It’s the most-watched basketball game since 2019 when the men’s NCAA title game between Virginia and Texas Tech averaged 19.6 million on CBS.”
Unique skill in the women’s game
Clark has been a huge boon to women’s basketball.
Casual fans with little interest in the women’s game have tuned in to watch her bury deep threes.
Caitlin Clark is just Steph Curry and there’s nothing anybody can do about her. Just BURIES this. pic.twitter.com/GhJnu7eZuc
— Brett Gibbons (@roadtocfb) April 2, 2024
After winning the championship, South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said, “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport. She carried a heavy load for our sport and it’s not going to stop here on the collegiate tour. When she’s the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there, you are one of the GOATs of our game and we appreciate you.”
Clark is projected to be the number one pick in the WNBA draft to the Indiana Fever, but she does have other options.
Of course, if she goes the WNBA route, she’ll likely make around $250,000 per year, which would be a pay cut from what she was reportedly making from Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals at Iowa.
But legendary rapper and actor Ice Cube has offered Clark $5 million to play in his Big Three league and professional three-on-three basketball league mostly comprised of former NBA players.
And Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy saw Ice Cube’s offer and countered it with a $10 million offer of his own for Clark to simply join Barstool’s team in their local intramural league – an offer he has vehemently assured is legitimate and would still allow her to play in the WNBA.
It is unlikely Clark will single-handedly lift the WNBA to the same heights she did women’s college basketball, but then again, she may decide it’s not her best option anyway.
