The Caitlin Clark effect not just on Iowa women's basketball but on women's basketball in general is real — and quantifiable. Just take for example the fact that the Hawkeyes' game over the weekend against the Maryland Terrapins attracted over one and a half million viewers on FOX Sports, thus setting a new record, per Austin Karp of Sports Business Journal.

Caitlin Clark keeps moving the needle

1.58 million viewers in primetime Saturday for @IowaWBB @TerpsWBB, marking @FOXSports' best women's college hoops audience on record.

Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark is the real deal

Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark

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Clark is arguably the top draw in women's basketball whether in the pros or the amateur ranks. She's reached mainstream popularity with her explosive ways on the court for Iowa women's basketball. Against the Terps, Clark did not let the Hawkeyes and her legion of supporters down, as she went off for 38 points on 13-for-29 shooting from the field to lead Iowa to a 93-85 victory on the road in College Park.

The win over Maryland has Clark and the Hawkeyes improving to 21-2 overall on the season and 10-1 in conference play. Iowa women's basketball is also now on a three-game win streak, which the Hawkeyes will look to extend to four when they take on the Penn State Nittany Lions at home this coming Thursday.

Ranked second overall in the nation by the Associated Press, the Hawkeyes are going to go as far as where Clark takes them. So far, she's been handling the pressure and all the attention well.

On the season, Clark is averaging 32.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game, while shooting 48.2 percent from the field and 40.1 percent from long range.