$818,000 NIL-valued Caitlin Clark's Ohio State-Iowa becomes most watched college basketball regular-season game in 14 years
Ohio State vs Iowa was a thriller. Ohio State's 100-92 upset over Caitlin Clark's Iowa on Sunday went down to the wire, with the Buckeyes leapfrogging the Hawkeyes in overtime.
The thrilling nature of the clash captivated the nation, with the game becoming the most-watched women's college basketball regular-season game in 14 years.
The average viewership for the game was 1.93 million, with the game airing on NBC and their streaming service Peacock. The number of viewers peaked at 3.9 million people during overtime.
The game saw Iowa's 15-game winning streak snapped was the most-watched women's college basketball game since 2010.
Caitlin Clark's outstanding performance
Clark had the most bittersweet of games, as the clash, despite ending in defeat, brought her best individual performance to date.
She scored a whopping 45 points and recorded seven assists and three rebounds. She was the only player on the Hawkeyes to score more than 20 points and was one assist shy of leading them in that department.
Clark is widely expected to be the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Caitlin Clark's NIL deals
The Iowa standout's NIL deals are valued at $818K by On3, which ranks her as the 37th collegiate athlete on the list and the fourth women's basketball player. She has deals with brands like Gatorade, State Farm, Nike and Buick among others.
Her most recent deal is reported to be with sports beverage company Gatorade, with the multi-year deal including not only money for the player but $22K in donations for her non-profit.
Clark survives injury scare following fan collision
While attempting to quickly leave the court after the defeat, Clark bumped into a Buckeyes fan who stormed the court during the celebrations.
Fans were left worried after she seemed to limp away from the court after the incident, helped on by her teammates. Fortunately, the player confirmed in the post-game press conference that she walked away unscathed and that she was doing fine.
The situation seems to have been a genuine accident, as both she and the fan looked to have walked into each other's blind spot.
After the game, she met special fan Landon McChesney who was waiting for her in the parking lot.
McChesney is a seven-year-old who suffers from a rare genetic disorder, and who the Buckeyes have supported in his fundraising efforts. He and Caitlin Clark had a photo taken together and shared it a few minutes after the game.