Caitlin Clark has earned the nickname “Golden Goose of WNBA” from Stephen A. Smith for the tremendous growth she’s brought to the league’s popularity. Well, the statistics her arrival brought were nothing short of extraordinary, but fans indeed had a sense of the kind of impact she would have, especially given the influence she wielded during her college days at Iowa. Now, with Clark in the WNBA, the effect she has had on college basketball’s popularity is becoming even more apparent, particularly in Iowa’s game viewership. It’s a noticeable contrast to what one of her Iowa teammates believed before the season opener.

Sports Media Watch released a comprehensive report analyzing viewership trends and statistics across various sports, including women’s college basketball. The Sports Media Watch report highlighted Programming Insider’s report that ESPN2 averaged 209,000 viewers for last Sunday’s Iowa-Virginia Tech game, which was the Hawkeyes’ first Nielsen-rated game on television this season.

Last season, the same matchup also served as Iowa’s first game on ESPN’s network and drew 583,000 viewers, that too on a Thursday night. This marks a noticeable decline of a staggering 64%. The obvious caveat? Caitlin Clark’s absence from Iowa’s roster this season.

In 2023-24, when Caitlin Clark was leading the charge for Iowa, her team’s victory over Nebraska in the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament final set a new benchmark. The game drew an impressive 3.02 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched women’s basketball game on the network since the iconic UConn-Tennessee matchup in 1999. Even more remarkable was last season’s NCAA championship finale, where the showdown between South Carolina and Iowa captivated around 19 million viewers.

Despite the excitement surrounding this season’s opening games and the fact that Iowa’s home games were sold out, the TV viewership numbers haven’t quite matched Clark’s era records and are far lower, as per the reports. Well, the drop in viewers may not come as a surprise to many, but it’s still a brutal reality check for the program which has not only lost Clark but also legendary head coach Lisa Bluder, who retired after last season’s national championship game loss.

While Hawkeyes continue to sell out home games at the Carver-Hawkeye arena thanks to unwavering support from Iowa fans, it’s a different story on television.

This just shows that the “Caitlin Clark Effect” is undeniably powerful and continues to make an impact, as evidenced by the reigning RoTY recently drawing attention in the world of golf as well with her appearance at The Annika event.

How Caitlin Clark continues to shape sports and fan engagement

The tournament’s namesake, golf legend Annika Sörenstam, was grateful for the Indiana Fever star’s participation, expressing, “Very thankful to her for taking the time to be part of our event.”

Even Nelly Korda, a seasoned pro, acknowledged the 22-year-old’s magnetic influence. “It was really cool to see firsthand today,” Korda said, referring to the impressive crowd Clark had drawn in. Now, tennis star Caroline Dolehide also expressed her excitement at the prospect of teaming up with Clark and remained confident that such a collaboration would draw an even bigger crowd.

Taken together, it’s clear that Caitlin Clark’s presence has an undeniable impact on the sports world. Her influence is instant, commanding attention and drawing crowds wherever she goes. So, when you look at the dip in Iowa’s game viewership, it starts to make sense. Clark’s departure leaves a void that’s hard to fill, showcasing just how much her aura brought to the table.