The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-nba-star-paul-pierce-was-only-impressed-by-caitlin-clark-after-she-beat-a-bunch-of-black-girls" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iowa</a> and LSU Elite Eight viewer ratings set a new record for women&#8217;s basketball on Monday following the NCAA March Madness showdown in Albany, New York.
The Hawkeyes&#8217; 94-87 surprise victory over the Tigers scored more than 12 million viewers for ESPN, drawing an even bigger crowd than the Final championship for the NCAA Women&#8217;s Basketball game last year between Iowa and LSU, the <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/tv/tv-news/iowa-lsu-rematch-womens-basketball-tv-ratings-record-1235865159/">Hollywood Reporter</a> reported.
In 2023, LSU&#8217;s 102-85 victory over the Hawkeyes set what was then an all-time ratings record on the sports network for women&#8217;s basketball, earning 9.9 million viewers across ABC and ESPN2.
However, the game on Monday — which was a rematch between the two schools — drew 12.3 million viewers on average and ended up being the most-watched show in primetime. It also beat out the biggest ratings for a program on broadcast networks, which was CBS&#8217; &#8220;NCIS&#8220; with 5.9 million viewers, the outlet noted.
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TV Ratings: Iowa-LSU NCAA Rematch Sets All-Time Record for Women&#8217;s Basketball <a href="https://t.co/Hr6IQi4yDK">https://t.co/Hr6IQi4yDK</a>
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) <a href="https://twitter.com/THR/status/1775281120596398391?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
The last time a women&#8217;s basketball game got close to those numbers was more than 40 years ago in 1983 at the <a href="https://trojanswire.usatoday.com/lists/usc-womens-basketballs-run-to-the-1983-national-championship/">NCAA title game</a> broadcast of USC&#8217;s 69-67 victory over Louisiana Tech. That game drew an audience of 11.83 million people, THR noted.
The NCAA women&#8217;s basketball showdown also was the second most-watched game of men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s tournament basketball this year, beaten out only by Sunday&#8217;s North Carolina State upset of Duke in the men&#8217;s division, which drew 15.14 million viewers on CBS.
The three other NCAA women&#8217;s Elite Eight games scored huge numbers, with the round scoring four of the five biggest women&#8217;s Elite Eight games ever, the outlet noted. South Carolina and Oregon State&#8217;s game averaged 3.1 million viewers on ABC on Sunday, while the North Carolina State and Texas matchup brought in 2.5 million. 
On Monday, Connecticut&#8217;s 80-73 victory against USC, also topped all broadcast shows with about 6.7 million viewers. The average audience of the Elite Eight round was 6.2 million. The ratings for the women&#8217;s games in that round are up 184 percent over last year&#8217;s, the outlet noted.
The Hawkeyes will now travel to Cleveland, Ohio, to play the Connecticut Huskies on Friday in the Final Four round of the NCAA women&#8217;s basketball tournament.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/lsu-womens-basketball-team-loses-in-elite-8-after-skipping-national-anthem-while-iowa-team-held-hands-on-court" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LSU Women&#8217;s Basketball Team Loses In Elite 8 After Skipping National Anthem While Iowa Team Held Hands On Court</a>

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On Monday night, LSU&#8217;s women&#8217;s basketball team, which was about to play the Iowa Hawkeyes in Albany, New York, in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA tournament, <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/college-basketball/article-13261889/lsu-american-national-anthem-iowa-elite8-march-madness.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">left the court</a> before the national anthem was played.
While the anthem was being played, the Hawkeyes team stood on the court holding hands.
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Iowa players holding hands during the American National Anthem. LSU players left the court before the anthem was performed. <a href="https://t.co/GhCLHUXiBX">pic.twitter.com/GhCLHUXiBX</a>
&mdash; Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDanZak/status/1774938110192677111?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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“Honestly, I don&#8217;t even know when the anthem was played. We kind of have a routine where we are on the floor and then they come off at the 12-minute mark. &#8230; We come in and do our pre-game stuff. I’m sorry. Listen, that’s nothing intentionally done,” LSU coach Kim Mulkey said in an interview after the game.
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Kim Mulkey said her team didn&#39;t intentionally leave the floor prior to the playing of the United States National Anthem. 
&quot;Honestly, I don&#39;t even know when the anthem was played. We kind of have a routine [for leaving the court at a certain time].&quot; <a href="https://t.co/JclJExC1Ym">pic.twitter.com/JclJExC1Ym</a>
&mdash; Dan Zaksheske (@RealDanZak) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealDanZak/status/1775005646741516666?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The game, which Iowa won 94-87, was a rematch of last year’s NCAA Championship game, which LSU won 102-85. Iowa now will play in the Final Four.
Last year, the LSU women’s team <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/04/02/sports/kim-mulkey-explains-lsu-missing-national-anthem-vs-iowa-after-online-backlash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">did not appear</a> during the playing of the national anthem before their game against Iowa in the national championship in Dallas.
“LSU is never on the court for the National Anthem. &#8230; If you ever go to an actual LSU game you’ll see that they’re never on the court for the anthem. It’s that simple. I’ve covered them for 3 years &amp; they’ve never been,” Baton Rouge sports reporter Chessa Bouche stated.
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LSU is never on the court for the National Anthem <a href="https://t.co/tfsDAgdOjn">https://t.co/tfsDAgdOjn</a>
&mdash; Chessa Bouche (@chessabouche) <a href="https://twitter.com/chessabouche/status/1774940414404882910?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 1, 2024</a></blockquote>
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If you ever go to an actual LSU game you’ll see that they’re never on the court for the anthem. It’s that simple. I’ve covered them for 3 years &amp; they’ve never been.
&mdash; Chessa Bouche (@chessabouche) <a href="https://twitter.com/chessabouche/status/1775011534462206344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 2, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Iowa star Caitlin Clark scored 41 points and dished out 12 assists in the game on Monday; LSU star Angel Reese fouled out in the fourth quarter. It was the fifth time this year Clark scored more than 40 points.
“She&#8217;s just a generational player, and she just makes everybody around her better,” Mulkey said of Clark. “That&#8217;s what the great ones do. &#8230; What did I say to her? I said, I sure am glad you&#8217;re leaving. I said, Girl, you something else. Never seen anything like it.”
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&#8220;Caitlin&#8217;s very skilled,” LSU guard Hailey Van Lilth, who guarded Clark, said. “She&#8217;s a great player. She hit some tough shots. There&#8217;s not a whole lot you can do about some of the threes she hit.”

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LSU Women’s Basketball Team Loses In Elite 8 After Skipping National Anthem While Iowa Team Held Hands On Court

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Iowa And LSU Elite Eight Showdown Sets New Ratings Record

LSU Women’s Basketball Team Loses In Elite 8 After Skipping National Anthem While Iowa Team Held Hands On Court