Iowa star Caitlin Clark's immense popularity gets NBA, NFL comparison from Candace Parker
15/03/2024 16:50
Las Vegas Aces’ star Candace Parker recently drew a comparison between Iowa women’s basketball standout Caitlin Clark and the legends of the NBA and NFL, highlighting Clark’s significant impact on the popularity of women’s basketball.
The comparison comes in the wake of the Hawkeyes’ Big Ten title game against Nebraska on March 10, which shattered viewership records, underscoring Clark’s ability to draw massive audiences similar to those of major men’s sports.
“It's putting the sport at the forefront. We've seen it in the NFL, we've seen in the NBA and how certain players come in, and yes, they're still going to be remembered — but it's about raising the game and that's what's most important to me,” Parker said, via Noa Dalzell of The Next Hoops and Swish Appeal.
The game, which ended with a 94-89 overtime victory for Iowa, attracted an audience of 3.02 million viewers, with numbers peaking at 4.45 million during overtime. It set a new benchmark as the most-watched women’s college basketball game on CBS in the past 25 years. Clark’s performance throughout the season has turned Iowa’s games into highly anticipated events, with the team’s previous matchups also pulling in millions of viewers.
This surge in viewership for women’s basketball games, highlighted by the Iowa-Nebraska match’s near-parity with a top-tier men’s basketball game between North Carolina and Duke (3.08 million viewers), points to a growing interest and investment in women’s sports.
Supporting this trend, WNBA players like Brianna Turner have noted Clark’s role in driving greater exposure and popularity for women’s basketball. Turner suggested that Clark’s rising star power is instrumental in introducing new audiences to the sport, potentially boosting engagement with the WNBA and women’s basketball at large.
As Candace Parker’s comparison suggests, Caitlin Clark’s influence on women’s basketball is profound, signaling a shift in the landscape of sports viewership. Her popularity, akin to that of NBA and NFL stars, is a pivotal moment for women’s basketball.
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