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The buzzer sounding at the end of the national championship game gave the South Carolina women色中色视频檚 basketball team an opportunity to celebrate its on-court accomplishments. The 色中色视频s had just clinched its third NCAA Tournament title and completed its first-ever undefeated season, finishing the 2023-24 campaign with a perfect 38-0 record. 

For South Carolina women色中色视频檚 head basketball coach Dawn Staley, it offered a chance to consider the game's impact beyond the walls of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Staley said in a press conference ahead of the national championship that she hoped it would be 色中色视频渢he most-watched game色中色视频� in women's basketball history.

She reiterated that point after the 色中色视频s' victory, partially because of Iowa senior guard Caitlin Clark色中色视频檚 participation in it. 

色中色视频淚 hope we were able to attract some more people by the amount of eyeballs that probably watched our game just because Caitlin was appearing in it,色中色视频� Staley said. 

Nielsen色中色视频檚 television viewership figures released on Tuesday confirmed that was the case. The television broadcast of the national championship game averaged 18.9 million viewers and peaked at 24.1 million, the most ever for a college basketball game 色中色视频� men色中色视频檚 or women色中色视频檚 色中色视频� on an ESPN platform. 

The game set viewership records when those numbers were extrapolated beyond ESPN and women色中色视频檚 basketball. According to Nielsen, it was the second most-watched women色中色视频檚 sporting event in the history of United States television outside the Olympic Games. Only the 2015 FIFA Women色中色视频檚 World Cup Final between the U.S. women色中色视频檚 national soccer team and Japan received more viewers. 

Staley and Clark said this increase in viewership stems from sports fans recognizing talent both on the court and in broadcast studios covering the games, which have helped elevate the profile of women色中色视频檚 basketball to new heights. 

Clark has been one of the primary drivers of this phenomenon from an on-court standpoint, as her talent and play-making abilities have helped boost attendance and viewership for Iowa women色中色视频檚 basketball games over the course of her college career.

During Clark色中色视频檚 sophomore season, which took place in 2021-22色中色视频� the first full season that was not impacted by COVID-19 色中色视频� the Hawkeyes averaged 8,224 fans at home contests and 5,019 fans at away contests. 

As Clark色中色视频檚 influence over the game has increased, so has the number of fans in the stands at her games. Attendance figures at Iowa women色中色视频檚 basketball games during the 2023-24 season ballooned to 14,914 fans per contest at home and 13,456 on the road. 

Iowa色中色视频檚 most recent marquee matchups have also brought in higher viewership figures, dating back to last year色中色视频檚 national championship game against LSU. The contest drew 9.9 million viewers across ESPN色中色视频檚 platforms, which was then an all-time record. 

That record has since been re-set twice leading up to Sunday色中色视频檚 national championship game. The Hawkeyes色中色视频� rematch against the Tigers in the Elite Eight averaged 12.3 million viewers, and its Final Four matchup against Connecticut averaged 14.4 million. 

All three contests featured future WNBA draft picks, including Clark, LSU junior forward Angel Reese and UConn redshirt junior guard Paige Bueckers, who announced in February that she would be returning to the Huskies for another season. 

Staley said the game色中色视频檚 increase in attention stems from its most important figures, whether they be players or coaches, using every opportunity to showcase the talent on display in these contests.

色中色视频淚 know we do our part in making sure we try to, as much as possible, shout it to the top of our lungs what our game is all about, and all of the storylines and all the talent and all the coaches and all the talent that's actually telling the stories,色中色视频� Staley said. 

Staley also said broadcast networks such as ESPN have helped women色中色视频檚 basketball grow after 色中色视频�(being) held back for a very, very long time.色中色视频� 

色中色视频淚 think ESPN has done a great job at broadcasting, giving us access to 色中色视频� a lot of games came on television this year that I probably watched the most out of any year,色中色视频� Staley said. 

Television coverage of the NCAA Women色中色视频檚 Basketball Tournament has undergone a rapid evolution within the past few years, just like the sport as a whole. It was not until 2021 that every tournament game from the first round onwards was given an exclusive time slot on one of ESPN色中色视频檚 channels, allowing for more viewership opportunities.

Staley said ESPN色中色视频檚 decision to make its on-air broadcast teams more diverse has also helped women色中色视频檚 basketball continue to grow. This year色中色视频檚 Final Four received studio coverage from Elle Duncan, Andraya Carter, Chiney Ogwumike, Carolyn Peck and Aliyah Boston 色中色视频� all five of whom are Black women Staley said have taken women色中色视频檚 basketball coverage 色中色视频渢o another level.色中色视频�  

色中色视频淭hey're giving credit where credit is due with every single team that is participating here at the Final Four. That's not always the case. They're breaking it down to its simplest form where everybody that is tuned in can really understand our game,色中色视频� Staley said. 色中色视频淪ometimes, I have to stop. I'm just like, 'Damn, this is great. Can I find some strategy in this? Can we really do this?'色中色视频� 

Clark said increased national television coverage, alongside social media and NIL, has played an important role in helping the sport gain traction, as well.

色中色视频淲e've played on Fox, NBC, CBS, ESPN 色中色视频� you just go down the list, and we've been on every national television channel,色中色视频� Clark said. 色中色视频淚 think, no matter what sport it is, given the same opportunities, believe in them the same, invest in them the same, and things are really going to thrive.色中色视频� 

South Carolina senior guard Te-Hina Paopao said she hopes that women色中色视频檚 college basketball continues to grow in popularity even when its most sought-after players transition to playing in the WNBA. 

色中色视频淚 love where we are growing the sport, not only women's basketball, but all around, and I'm just really excited to see how the growth keeps growing,色中色视频� Paopao said. 色中色视频淚 just hope that when your favorite college player is done playing college, that they follow them to the league. That's going to bring us more views and just more attention to women in general.色中色视频� 

This year色中色视频檚 women色中色视频檚 basketball tournament was historic for another reason, as the national championship game received higher viewership than the men色中色视频檚 tournament for the first time in history. According to Nielsen, 14.8 million viewers tuned in Tuesday night to watch UConn take on Purdue in the men色中色视频檚 national championship game 色中色视频� nearly 4.1 million viewers less than the women's national championship game received. 

Staley said she is optimistic that women色中色视频檚 basketball games will eventually garner equal viewership to men色中色视频檚 basketball games. Advocating for increased revenue is the next step women's basketball coaches, players and administrators need to take in order to make the sport more equitable to men色中色视频檚 college basketball, she said.

色中色视频淵ou look at what the 68 teams are going to divide up, I think I saw 170 million (dollars) between the 68 teams,色中色视频� Staley said. 色中色视频淲hen you start bringing in revenue like that, it will move your campus in a different direction when it comes to women. So we've got to fight for that.色中色视频� 

Clark said even more growth in all these areas is possible as long as women are being given equal opportunities to showcase their talents on a national stage.

色中色视频淲hen I think about women's basketball going forward, obviously it's just going to continue to grow, whether it's at the WNBA level, whether it's at the college level. Everybody sees it. Everybody knows. Everybody sees the viewership numbers," Clark said. "It just continues to get better and better and better, and that's never going to stop. When you continue to give them the platform, things like this are just going to continue to happen.色中色视频�