“Jokic is boring”: NBA fans buzz as Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese’s matchup beats out Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets’ Championship viewership

Despite facing a tough opponent, Caitlin Clark has been receiving a lot of recognition. In the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament on Monday night, she guided her Iowa Hawkeyes to a victory over LSU, the same team they faced in the previous national championship. The game garnered significant national attention and Clark’s performance did not disappoint, as she scored 41 points and attracted a large audience.

With 12.3 million viewers at its peak, the game set a record for the highest viewership in women’s basketball history. This number surpasses the average viewership for last season’s NBA Finals, where the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in five games, which drew 11.6 million viewers.

The news of Caitlin Clark’s success in outdrawing the top competitors in basketball was absolutely astounding. Numerous fans took to the internet to share their reactions to the impressive TV ratings.

“Jokic is boring a f tbh. Yes he’s good, yes he’s consistent, but he’s the new Tim Duncan that’s all,” one fan wrote.

Despite Clark receiving a significant amount of attention, there were some who felt that credit should also be given to other stars of the LSU Tigers, such as Angel Reese.

“Damn tell the whole story, it wasn’t just Caitlin,” one fan wrote.

Despite some skepticism, there were fans who remained optimistic and believed that Caitlin Clark’s potential could lead to increased viewership for the WNBA once she transitions to the professional level following her college career.

“She’s going to get some viewers to the WNBA one day,” a fan wrote.

Other fans had differing theories. While some argue that Nikola Jokić is not a star player like Clark, others believe that his lack of commercial endorsements and focus on his brand may contribute to his lower recognition among the public.

Historic Ratings Milestone for Caitlin Clark and Iowa Women’s Basketball

The NCAA Tournament match-up between Iowa and LSU broke the record for the most-watched women’s basketball game, with 12.3 million viewers tuning in. This surpassed the viewership of last year’s national championship game between the same two teams, which drew in 10 million viewers.

The game was exclusively broadcasted on ESPN through cable TV and could also be streamed using WatchESPN. This resulted in it surpassing the 1983 national championship as the most watched women’s basketball game with 11.86 million viewers. It also marked the second time in history that a women’s basketball national title was won. How does this compare to viewership for other sports events in the United States?

Despite being a relatively unknown player, Caitlin Clark’s presence in the game attracted a larger audience than numerous popular sporting events. It received greater viewership than the 2023 NBA Finals, the 2023 World Series, and any Thursday Night NFL game last season (which is exclusively shown on Amazon Prime Video).

This game also surpassed the viewership of nearly every college football conference championship game, multiple bowl games, and all regular season CFB games except for Ohio State vs Michigan.

The final match of the 2023 NBA Finals, Game 5, drew more viewers than the Iowa vs LSU game. The decisive game had a total of 13.08 million viewers.