The South Carolina Women's Basketball team captured their third national title by beating the Iowa Hawkeyes, with the championship game attracting over 18.9 million viewers, surpassing the men's final in ratings for the first time.

This historic women's championship game was the second most-watched non-Olympic women's sporting event on US television and marked the first instance of the women's title game outdrawing the men's final.

Viewership for the women's title game experienced a significant increase, peaking at 24.1 million during the last 15 minutes and showing a 90% rise over the previous year and a 289% surge from two years ago.

Discussions around the potential for women's sports to reach equal status with men's are intensifying, even though financial disparities persist, particularly between the WNBA and NBA.

Predictions indicate that revenue from women's elite sports could exceed $1 billion by 2024, which would represent a 300% increase from three years prior.

The women's basketball game is seeing enhanced exposure on network television, with major networks broadcasting more games and tournaments.

Despite star player Caitlin Clark moving on to the WNBA, there is optimism for the continued growth of women's college basketball due to emerging young talent and increased visibility.