NCAA Women’s Basketball (Photos via Imagn Images)
Women’s basketball is continuing to grow in popularity, but the college game doesn’t seem to be as attractive as it was when Caitlin Clark was still around.

The point guard completed her first season with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever last year, having led Iowa to two consecutive National Title games prior to going pro. UConn and defending champs South Carolina are set to square off for a championship this Sunday in the first game of its kind since the end of the Caitlin college era.

The Huskies beat UCLA in Friday’s Final Four, while the Gamecocks had to get through Texas. Although millions of fans tuned in to watch the games on ESPN, there was a significant drop in ratings from last year.

Caitlin Clark’s Departure Was Costly

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
According to Nielson, the network averaged 3.9 million viewers across the two games, marking a 65 percent dip from 2024’s 11.0 million.

While the stark difference in numbers highlights Clark’s star power, this year’s viewership was the third-highest since ESPN began airing the tournament in 1995. It’s also a 44 percent improvement on the 2022 Final Four, which did not showcase Clark’s Hawkeyes.

While there’s still plenty of talent in the college game following the departures of Caitlin Clark and rival Angel Reese, it’s clear that there has never been a draw like the Fever star in women’s basketball.