A court-storming incident last weekend involving Iowa’s Caitlin Clark − where the star guard was accidentally knocked over by an Ohio State fan sprinting to join the celebration after the No. 15 Buckeyes upset the No. 2 Hawkeyes − has sparked an interesting discussion.
Given the growing parity and interest in women’s college basketball and how common upsets are becoming, should extra security at games be considered?
Clark’s collision with a fan comes less than 10 months after more than 10 million people tuned into the title match between LSU and Iowa last April. Places that already drew well, including South Carolina and Iowa, have seen a significant increase in attendance this season. LSU sold just south of 10,000 season tickets for 2023-24, almost doubling last season’s sales. Clark and her pursuit of the scoring record are responsible for selling out each of Iowa’s remaining road games . Attendance for the Ohio State-Iowa game was nearly three times what the Buckeyes typically draw and was their largest women’s basketball crowd ever.