Ohio State's 100-92 overtime win over Iowa is the most-watched women's college basketball regular-season game since 2010.
According to a press release from NBC Sports, the Big Ten battle between the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes averaged 1.93 million viewers, including 1.86 million viewers on NBC stations. Those numbers rank as the most-watched regular season women’s college basketball game on any network in 14 years.
Sundays Iowa-Ohio State overtime thriller on NBC and @peacock is the most-watched regular season womens college basketball game since 2010.
— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) January 23, 2024
Details here: https://t.co/FiBA74QBWe pic.twitter.com/brbdZkP7mH
The game's viewership peaked at 3.9 million viewers when Ohio State and Iowa entered overtime. The Buckeyes outscored the Hawkeyes 17-9 in the extra frame as Cotie McMahon, Jacy Sheldon and Rebeka Mikulasikova all scored to help their team secure the upset win.
McMahon finished the game with 33 points, 12 rebounds and two blocks, while Sheldon added 24 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Caitlin Clark, the 2023 Naismith Women's College Player of the Year, led Iowa with 45 points, shooting 12-of-25 from the field and 14-of-16 at the free throw line. Clark also added three rebounds and seven assists.
Since Sunday, McMahon has received a handful of honors for her performance, including Big Ten Player of the Week, Naismith Women's College Player of the Week and, most recently, The Associated Press National Player of the Week.
"She was really determined," McGuff said after the game. "She was really locked in and focused. Hopefully, this is a great reminder for her that, when her focus and energy is as it was today, how special she can be and how much she can impact this team."
Ohio State will return to action on Thursday at 7 p.m. in a Big Ten matchup with Illinois. The Illini are 8-9 overall in 2023-24 and have a 2-5 record in conference competition.
