Just when you thought 2024 could not have been wilder, new stats prove you wrong. In an era where the NBA is struggling with viewership and ratings with football dominating the charts, women’s basketball is actually thriving. Just picture it, an organization established in 1946, having experienced its heyday from the late ’70s to ’90s. But since then, it seems like things have only gone downhill and it’s the era of Caitlin Clark now.

Sportico just revealed the top 100 most-watched US broadcasts in 2024, and as one would expect, they feature two of the biggest things Americans follow the most – football and politics. But at no. 76 is a women’s basketball game, the most popular in the sport’s history – the University of Iowa vs. the University of South Carolina at the 2024 NCAA Finals.

Caitlin Clark (and Lisa Bluder) vs. Dawn Staley and an undefeated Gamecocks team. The Hawkeyes lost but the game still averaged 18.7 million viewers on ESPN and ABC, an 89% increase from last year’s championship game, more than even the NBA finals. The top 100 list does not feature a single men’s college or pro hoops game, the latter of which counts 538 active players, including newer stars like Victor Wembenyama and Anthony Edwards. Even the WNBA didn’t make it. Yet. Indy’s No. 22 is only getting started.

The WNBA Rookie of the Year has already set viewership records with the Indiana Fever this season, with games she was part of averaging more viewers than ever before. Front Office Sports revealed in an end-of-year report that out of the 31 WNBA games that reached the 1 million mark this year, 22 of them featured Caitlin Clark.

But the phenomenon clearly began in college, with Iowa’s 2023 NCAA finals match-up with LSU peaking at 16.1 million viewers. Per Forbes, the 2024 game attracted more audiences than most recent big sporting events, including every game of the 2023 World Series, the 2023 NBA Finals, as well as last year’s men’s NCAA Basketball championship game.

Although the Hawkeyes lost the finals for the second year in a row, it was a win for basketball overall. Even South Carolina’s coach acknowledged it.

Dawn Staley declares Caitlin Clark the ‘GOAT’

It was understandably an emotional moment as Dawn Staley’s squad ended the season undefeated, with a national championship trophy in their hands. But the coach also knew the hype the game received would not have been possible without the biggest name in women’s basketball, nay the hoops sport overall. “I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” the head coach said in her speech.

“She carried a heavy load for our sport, and it just isn’t gonna stop here on the collegiate tour, but when she’s the number one pick in the WNBA draft she’s going to lift that league up as well. So Caitlin Clark, if you’re out there you are one of the GOATS of our game and we appreciate you.”

Indeed, Clark has helped lift up the league to more popularity. The Fever guard ignited the fire; the veterans as well as her fellow rookies in the WNBA help stoke the flames. Soon, it’s going to be a burning wildfire!