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UConn vs. South Carolina national championship draws big TV ratings, averages 8.5 million viewers

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•04/07/25•

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UConn women's basketball celebrates its national championship
© Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

For the 12th time under Geno Auriemma, UConn is a national champion. The Huskies took down South Carolina in Sunday’s title game to bring home the trophy, sending Paige Bueckers and the senior class off in style.

It was a rematch of the 2022 national championship game, which saw South Carolina get the victory. This time around, though, the game drew double the viewers.

Sunday’s game averaged 8.5 million on ABC, ESPN announced Monday. That’s lower than both the 2023 and 2024 national championship games, but is still the third-most watched on record behind those two matchups. In 2022, 4.85 million people tuned in as South Carolina defeated UConn in the championship.

While this year’s NCAA tournament saw a ratings dip from last year’s heights – fueled by star power such as Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese as South Carolina won its second title in three years – it was still a strong showing for ESPN. The national championship success came after an average of 3.9 million people tuned in for the Final Four.

UConn’s win over UCLA led the charge in the semifinals, bringing in 4.1 million people on average. South Carolina’s victory against Texas brought in 3.6 million viewers, as well, as both games came in the Top 10 most-watched Final Four games ever on ESPN, according to Sports Media Watch.

UConn dominated South Carolina in a rematch of their regular-season matchup, which also resulted in a Huskies blowout win. Sarah Strong led the charge with a team-high 24 points and 15 minutes to complete one of the top national championship games by a freshman. Azzi Fudd also brought home NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors as UConn came away with the 82-59 victory in Tampa.

But for Bueckers, it was quite the way to end her storied career in Storrs. By winning a championship, she joins the likes of Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore and Sue Bird – among many others – as all-time greats at UConn who won championships. Bueckers also ends her career as a three-time Big East Player of the Year, three-time unanimous First Team All-American, a National Player of the Year award as a freshman in 2021 and, at long last, a national championship.

As she walked off the court for the final time, Bueckers had a long embrace with Auriemma. The two built a close relationship over the last five years – and, fittingly, it ended on the stage hoisting the national championship trophy.