The nail-biting victory for Caitlin Clark and Iowa over South Carolina on Friday night in the N.C.A.A. women’s basketball tournament semifinal was watched by an average of 5.5 million viewers, ESPN said on Saturday, citing early data from Nielsen. That is the third-largest audience ever on ESPN for a women’s college basketball game, and the largest audience ever for a semifinal.
ESPN has shown most of the women’s tournament since 1996, when it took over the rights from CBS. The only games to draw larger audiences than the Iowa-South Carolina matchup were two tournament finals in the early 2000s, featuring Diana Taurasi and a juggernaut Connecticut team that won three consecutive championships.
On Friday night, Clark showcased her shooting and other offensive skills for Iowa while matched up against a previously undefeated South Carolina team that had been the heavy favorite to win a second consecutive championship. The game more than delivered on those high expectations, with Clark scoring 41 points — her second consecutive 40-point game — and Iowa holding off several late pushes by the Gamecocks, who showcased their depth even in defeat.
The strong viewership for Iowa-South Carolina, and the 3.4 million average viewers of the other tight semifinal game, between…
