Iowa vs. LSU breaks record for most-viewed women's basketball national championship in TV history

Sunday night’s national championship between Iowa and LSU marked a historic moment for women’s college basketball. According to ESPN, the game averaged roughly 9.9 viewers, making it the most-watched women’s title game ever.

ESPN reported that viewership for the game between the Hawkeyes and Tigers peaked at 12.6 million people. That is up 103% from last year’s championship game between South Carolina and UConn, which saw an average of 4.85 million viewers.

The previous record for the most-watched women’s basketball national championship game on ESPN was set in 2002 as 5.68 million people tuned in to watch a matchup between Oklahoma and UConn. A 1995 contest between UConn and Tennessee drew 7.44 million viewers on CBS. With this year’s title game greatly surpassing both those numbers, it feels like a massive moment for the sport.

According to Sports Media Watch, the audience for Sunday’s game was larger than any NBA playoff game from last season outside of the Finals. It was also more than any MLB playoff game excluding the World Series and more than every NASCAR race since 2017.

It was a fitting end to what was overall a record-setting year for the women’s NCAA Tournament. The two Final Four matchups that preceded the national championship averaged 4.5 million viewers, the most-watched ever on ESPN+. Iowa’s upset of No. 1 seed and defending national champion South Carolina garnered an average of 5.5 million eyeballs with a peak of 6.6 million.

LSU defeats Iowa 102-85 to win national championship

LSU was in control from start to finish on it’s way to claiming the the national title against Iowa. The Tigers entered halftime with a 59-42 advantage and led the entire second half on their way to the dominant 102-85 victory.

The scoring output from LSU marked the highest in women’s national championship history as five different players scored in double figures. Jasmine Carson led the charge with 22 points off the bench while Alexis Morris added 21 and LaDazhia Williams had 20. Forward Angel Reese set a women’s Division 1 record with her 34th double-double of the season to finish with 15 points and 10 rebounds. She was later named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.

Naismith and AP Player of the Year Caitlin Clark finished with 30 points and eight assists for Iowa. Clark broke several NCAA Tournament records during the Hawkeyes run, including most points (191) and most 3-pointers made (32). She also became the first player in tournament history — men’s or women’s — to record a 40-point triple-double.

Clark’s performance throughout the tournament likely also played a large role in the TV ratings. Either way, it appears the future of the sport is bright.