Interest in women’s college basketball from fans and bettors continues to rise, according to a recent ESPN report. The network reported that the recent South Carolina vs. Iowa game brought in the largest number of bets.
Several sportsbooks reported a boost in activity during the game, including ESPN Bet, Caesars, BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel. Three of these operators, BetMGM, DraftKings and FanDuel, said the South Carolina and Iowa women’s game was their “most-bet women's sporting event of all time.”
The game’s wager total has now surpassed the all-time high that FanDuel reported last week during the Louisiana State University and Iowa matchup.
The operator attributed the LSU and Iowa game’s record betting activity to a combination of a “heated rematch” between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and the presence of coaching legend Kim Mulkey. The acclaimed coach had been making recent headlines throughout the season.
DraftKings Director of Sportsbook and Race Operations Johnny Avello described the results from the South Carolina vs. Iowa matchup as “astronomical.”
He further commented to ESPN, "We handled a limited amount of [women's] games in the past. There wasn't a lot of interest because the games weren't being shown.
"This year, you could have watched many games on national TV. And there were great players this year; Caitlin Clark being probably the No. 1 focus. But there were more players besides her."
Clark will soon move on to play for the WNBA.
ESPN noted that this year’s women’s Sweet 16 was “its most-watched on record.” Viewership rose by 96% when compared to stats from the previous year.
