As women’s college basketball continues to grow, it remains clear that its predominant brand is the UConn Huskies. Connecticut fans traveled in mass to Caitlin Clark’s city to watch Paige Bueckers hoop on Saturday and waited over an hour just to catch a glimpse of the soon-to-be No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
The visiting fanbase completely took over historic Hinkle Fieldhouse— inside and out!
Butler hosted UConn for its final home game of the 2024-25 women’s college basketball season and sold out its 9,100-capacity gym for the first time in program history. Its next-closest turnout was back in November against Indiana when 4,135 fans showed up. The third-most attended women’s hoops game in school history barely filled the lower bowl and didn’t even reach one-third capacity.
Let’s just say that one of these numbers is not like the others:
Everyone watches women’s sports in Hinkle Fieldhouse.@ButlerUWBB attendance record shattered three times this season!
— Butler Women’s Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) February 23, 2025
🗓️ 2/22/25 vs. UConn – 9,100
🗓️ 11/14/24 vs. Indiana – 4,135
🗓️ 11/6/24 vs. Chicago St. – 2,941#ButlerWay pic.twitter.com/a0qpdpphca
The Bulldogs promoted the feat as though its entire fanbase showed out for Senior Day.
All smiles because Hinkle is SOLD OUT for Senior Day vs. UConn!
— Butler Women’s Basketball (@ButlerUWBB) February 21, 2025
📌 Parking lots open at 2:30PM, doors at 3PM.
📌Hinkle lot is sold out—fans without a pass, please use the garage.
Let’s pack the house for our seniors!#4us pic.twitter.com/7wCQGHkh9a
I don’t want to diminish the accomplishments of the Butler women, but to say it was only for Senior Day did not tell the full story. A large amount of tickets, if not the majority, were sold to Huskies fans. They showed out. And (almost) everybody else was there because Bueckers and No. 5 UConn were in town.
Listen to the crowd pop for Paige’s triple in the first half:
Paige Bueckers
— UConn Women’s Basketball (@UConnWBB) February 22, 2025
FOR THREE pic.twitter.com/3fCxH57xmB
You won’t find that for most teams at their home gyms, let alone on the road. The massive turnout should be celebrated accordingly but we have to be realistic about who/what put butts in the seats…
Oh yeah the Butler vs UConn game yesterday! pic.twitter.com/RMkdt7H4da
— Sneaker Boots (@OwtSpok3n) February 23, 2025
As soon as the game was over, a huge group of Huskies fans packed into the back tunnel just to catch a glimpse of their team— and Paige Bueckers. (Mostly Bueckers?)
This is in INDIANA. Not Connecticut. Fans waiting to get pictures of the team coming out of the halftime locker room. @UConnWBB is hands down the biggest brand in the history of women’s sports.
— Jared Guy Thomas (@JaredGuyThomas) February 22, 2025
If you are a business. And you want to market. You should probably considering… pic.twitter.com/jnmXIgXZDr
Meanwhile, hundreds of others gathered outside of the arena at UConn’s bus.
The amount of fans waiting at UConn’s bus after the Butler game is crazy.
— Talia Goodman (@TaliaGoodmanWBB) February 22, 2025
Has to be at least a couple hundred. pic.twitter.com/yiPrzKJMxI
They waited over an hour, in the middle of February in Indianapolis, to get a picture of/with and/or signature from Paige Bueckers and her teammates. Butler did not draw the same reception.
Caitlin Clark is the biggest single draw in women’s basketball history. UConn is the biggest brand. Period.