Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?
Sports
The Associated Press

The Caitlin Clark show fueled a Big Ten tournament sellout. These women are used to big crowds

Minnesota Gophers vs. Iowa Hawkeyes
Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes drives to the basket during the game between the Minnesota Gophers and the Iowa Hawkeyes at Williams Arena on Feb. 28.
Kerem Yücel | MPR News

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Log inCreate a free Account

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!

The full allotment of tickets for the Big Ten women's basketball tournament was sold nearly two weeks ago, assuring the attendance total will more than double the event record set last year.

These teams aren't about to be awestruck by large and loud crowds.

From Iowa to Maryland, with Indiana and Ohio State in between, the conference has continued to stage well-attended games in a trend that suggests it has staying power long after Caitlin Clark — now the career scoring leader among all major college players — launches her last college 3-pointer.

“They’re not just here for me. I’m sure I help, but at the end of the day, we have a really great team and a really great culture and that’s what makes it so fun,” Clark said Sunday after Iowa's sold-out home slate concluded with a win over Big Ten regular-season champion Ohio State.

The third-ranked Hawkeyes (26-4, 15-3) finished second in conference play. They enter the bracket in a quarterfinal game on Friday night against either seventh-seeded Penn State or 10th-seeded Wisconsin.

The Big Ten could not have timed its decision to hold the tournament in Minneapolis any better, with the host arena Target Center a convenient drive of less than five hours from Iowa's campus for each of Clark's final two seasons in black and gold.

The Hawkeyes beat the Buckeyes in the championship game last year in front of a Big Ten Tournament-record crowd of 9,505. The five-day total of 47,923 in 2023 will be smashed this time, with a final figure of more than 109,000 expected. That's an average of about 15,500 per session. Tickets are only available on the secondary market.

“We've played in environments like that all year, so we'll be ready for it,” said Jacy Sheldon, the star guard for fourth-ranked Ohio State and the conference's third-leading scorer.

The Buckeyes (26-4, 16-2) face either eighth-seeded Maryland or ninth-seeded Illinois in their quarterfinal on Friday. Iowa has two consecutive Big Ten Tournament titles to defend, but like Ohio State the overarching goal this weekend is to win enough to secure a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament.

“We've done a great job of handling success when we've won for, basically, two months straight,” Buckeyes coach Kevin McGuff said. “Now we've got to handle a tough loss.”

The two-game first round is Wednesday, followed by a four-game second round on Thursday. Indiana and Michigan State grabbed the coveted double byes along with Ohio State and Iowa.

That Buckeyes-Hawkeyes rematch in the championship game on Sunday is far from a given.

The 12th-ranked Hoosiers (24-4, 15-3) had a 17-point win over Iowa on Feb. 22. Star center Mackenzie Holmes shot 17 for 18 from the floor in wins over Northwestern and Maryland last week, fueling their quest to secure a spot as one of the 16 hosts for first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games. Holmes had to leave the last game with an aggravation of the left knee injury that has hampered her throughout her career.

The Spartans are on a five-game winning streak, boasting the sixth-best scoring average (84.5 points per game) in NCAA Division I play that trails only the nation-leading Hawkeyes (92.7) in the Big Ten.