FOX Sports have announced record ratings for the Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament final.

Paige Bueckers #5 of the Connecticut Huskies dribbling the ball, defended by a Creighton Bluejay.
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Paige Bueckers is the reigning Big East Player of the YearCredit: Getty

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes makes a heart shape with her hands after winning a basketball game.
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Caitlin Clark’s brilliance drew plenty of extra eyeballs on last year’s NCAA TournamentCredit: Getty
Led by Paige Bueckers, the Huskies dominated all three of their games at Mohegan Sun Arena.

The tournament was broadcast live on Fox Sports.

After the event, Fox confirmed that the tournament earned record ratings.

The final was viewed by 492,000 on Fox Sports 1, making it the most-watched Big East Women’s Basketball Tournament final ever.

Only UConn’s semi-final against Villanova has ever received a higher viewership, with an incredible 748,000 tuning in for the Huskies’ 82-54 win.

Creighton’s semi-final triumph over Seton Hall earned 394,000 viewers, putting it third in the all-time list.

The entire tournament averaged an impressive 269,000 viewers.

This figure is up 74 per cent on last year’s number.

Women’s basketball is enjoying a boom in popularity.

March Madness battles between Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes and Angel Reese’s LSU Tigers captured the imagination in recent seasons.
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The WNBA also possesses plenty of star power and is rapidly expanding.

This year will see the introduction of the Golden State Valkyries.

New teams in Toronto and Portland are set to enter the W in 2025.

Then a 16th team will join in 2026, with Eminem involved in Detroit’s bid for an expansion franchise.

UConn went 31-3 overall during the 2024-25 season, led by brilliant Bueckers.

The Huskies went 18-0 in Big East play and go into March Madness with big expectations.

Bueckers, 23, has averaged 19 points per game this season.

She is posting outstanding shooting splits; 53.6 per cent from the floor, 40.6 per cent from deep and 89.9 per cent from the free throw line.

The point guard was recently named the Big East Player of the Season for a third time.

Bueckers is the consensus No.1 overall pick ahead of next month’s WNBA Draft.