The NCAA women’s basketball national championship game between South Carolina and Iowa has been confirmed as the most bet-on women’s sporting event in history by three major U.S. sportsbooks, DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM. According to FanDuel, the amount of money bet on the game increased by 155% compared to the previous national title game in 2023, with a total of 205% increase in bet count. This significant increase in betting indicates the growing financial value of women’s college basketball.
FanDuel senior vice president and general manager Karol Corcoran stated that this year’s women’s March Madness tournament lived up to its hype and demonstrated the power of the women’s game. In addition to FanDuel, BetMGM also set betting records during several games throughout the tournament. The championship game saw a 34% increase from the Final Four matchup between Iowa and UConn, indicating that more people are tuning into these games each year.
As sports betting continues to grow across the country, it is clear that women’s college basketball is gaining popularity among sports fans. DraftKings reported an impressive growth in monthly users last year from 2.6 million to 3.5 million today, showing how quickly this market is expanding. Caitlin Clark finished her four-year career at Iowa with an NCAA record of 3,951 career points in Sunday’s loss to South Carolina, making her one of the most popular players for prop bets during both men’s and women’s tournaments. Purdue center Zach Edey received the most prop bets overall during men’s championship game against UConn.
Overall, it is clear that women’s college basketball is becoming an increasingly valuable sport for both players and sportsbooks alike as more states legalize sports betting and more people tune into these games each year.
