(Reuters) – Caitlin Clark and Iowa’s win on Monday over LSU to reach the Final Four of the NCAA tournament drew 12.3 million viewers, making it the most-watched women’s college basketball game ever on ESPN platforms, the broadcaster said on Tuesday.
In a rematch of last year’s championship game, the top-seeded Hawkeyes got their revenge behind a 41 points, 12 assists and nine three-pointers from Clark in the 94-87 victory.
Stars like Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, USC’s JuJu Watkins and UConn’s Paige Bueckers have helped drive interest in the tournament this year.
ESPN also scored the most-watched women’s Sweet 16 on record, up 96% from the previous year, it said.
Clark and the Hawkeyes take on Bueckers and UConn on Friday for a place in the final, where they face either South Carolina or NC State.
(Reporting by Rory Carroll; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
