The anticipation for the women’s side of the yearly NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) March Madness tournament has settled and now it’s time for a recap! According to an article from NPR, an incredible 18.7 million viewers tuned in for the exciting final match between Raven Johnson’s, South Carolina Gamecocks and Caitlin Clark’s, Iowa Hawkeyes which, for the first time in history, is more than the men’s game received.
Going into the big game, South Carolina held an amazing undefeated record, 38-0 and Iowa went 34-5. The final score was 87-75 with the Gamecocks winning. This is South Carolina’s third NCAA championship win since 2022, along with a win in 2017. Center Kamilla Cordoso was the top scorer for the Gamecocks’ starting five with fifteen points after playing thirty minutes.
The Hawkeyes were up 27-20 at the end of the first quarter, but the Gamecocks got a lot of good looks on the basket and decided to mainly go in the paint for easy layups. They eventually caught the lead and wouldn’t let Caitlin Clark get any uncontested shots.
The Gamecocks were up 49-46 at halftime. The score was close throughout the third quarter but things really started to heat up during the fourth with South Carolina getting every bucket they shot. They kept Iowa’s score at 75 in the last two minutes and still extended their lead by twelve. Millikan Athletic Director and girls basketball coach, Coach Morgan said, “I always expect great basketball and I think [the tournament] exceeded my expectations. It was a great event for any fan of basketball.”
“I think some of the women who have emerged changed the game. It [also] has evolved a great deal since I played college ball,” said Morgan.
She also watched the men’s side of the Final Four but preferred the women’s side much more.
Caitlin Clark, now a player for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever after the WNBA draft on April 15, finished her college career without a NCAA championship but has made history in leading up to the big match. She finished her last game as a Hawkeye going 10 for 28 (ten shots made and eighteen shots missed), scoring thirty points after playing for forty minutes. She became the NCAA D1 leading scorer across men’s and women’s basketball.
Morgan said, “Clark has a good presence off the court. Fans love her, not just Iowa fans. The excitement she brings will help to bring more market share for the WNBA.”
The amount of attention this tournament got this year could be a sign of the growing popularity of women’s sports in general. Should these high viewership numbers increase, so will the talent and coverage these events receive. 
