Women's College Basketball Is Thriving—Even Without Caitlin Clark
As the saying goes, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” There’s no doubt Caitlin Clark helped raise that tide, but the surge in women’s basketball isn’t just about one player. It’s about the depth of talent and fierce competition driving the whole game forward. Many people doubted that women’s college basketball ratings would stay strong once Caitlin Clark was no longer in the mix. However, those people were wrong. The baton has been passed to players like JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, Hannah Hidalgo, and Audi Crooks (to name just a few), who are keeping fans engaged at record levels.
Women’s sports fans are all too familiar with doubt. Doubt that anyone cares, that people will show up, that the competition will be exciting, that the athletes will deliver. Doubt that anyone watches.
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Time and time again, women’s sports proves the doubters wrong – and the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season is a prime example of how women’s sports continue to thrive, despite what the doubters say.
Record-Breaking Viewership 📈
On ESPN alone, the 2024-25 women’s college basketball regular season wasthe network’s most-watched in nearly two decades, marking the highest ratings since the 2008-09 season. Compared to last season’s historic run, viewership for the 2024-25 season grew by 3% and saw a staggering 41% increase from the 2022-23 season. Fans tuned in at record rates, consuming 2.9 billion (!) minutes of live action across ESPN platforms.
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Notably, the ABC doubleheader featuring UConn vs. South Carolina (1.8M viewers) and LSU vs. Texas (1.7M viewers) became the most-watched regular season games on ESPN platforms since 2010.
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Beyond the success on ESPN, the December USC vs. UConn match-up, featuring current stars JuJu Watkins and Paige Bueckers, peaked at nearly 3.8 million viewers on Fox, making it the second-most-watched women’s regular season game in network history. (For context, the most-watched game was last year when Caitlin Clark made history setting the all-time NCAA scoring record.)
Women's Basketball Is Here to Stay 🏀
Let’s be clear: there’s no denying the “Caitlin Clark Effect.” Clark has played a massive role in elevating the visibility of women’s basketball. The impact she’s had on fandom, ticket sales and viewership is undeniable.
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However, to suggest that the popularity of women’s basketball is solely due to Clark would be shortsighted and wildly inaccurate. The sport’s rise has been years in the making, built by incredible athletes, powerhouse coaches & programs, and a little bit of whistleblowing (see the 2021 weightroom comparison photos) that led to increased media coverage and more investment from the NCAA, networks and brands.
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With this season’s record-breaking numbers, women’s March Madness is on pace to shatter even more records. Some analysts believe the women’s tournament could even outdraw the men’s tournament in key matchups, something that was inconceivable to the doubters just a few years ago.
The reality is that once again, the doubters were wrong: women’s college basketball is here to stay. And we’re just getting started.
MEET CAROLINE FITZGERALD
Caroline Fitzgerald is a contributing writer for TOGETHXR.com and a leading expert in women’s sports business and gender equity. A Sports Business Journal "2024 Power Player in Women's Sports," she covers the forces shaping the industry’s next era of growth.
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