Caitlin Clark, a basketball prodigy across the country, has been making waves in college basketball. Playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark has dazzled fans and critics alike with her scoring and playmaking abilities but even more captivating them with her fiery personality. She has been breaking records during her senior year, even beating out names like Pete Maravich, Steph Curry and many more. She is doing everything she can to make herself a well-known name and change women’s basketball for good.
Clark was born to be a star. Coming out of Dowling Catholic High School as a Gatorade Player of the Year, she caught many colleges’ eyes. Averaging 33.5 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists and 2.7 steals per game, she was listed as a five-star recruit, fourth best in her class and caught the attention of Iowa State, Texas, Oregon and Oregon State. It truly fell to Iowa and Notre Dame who ended up as finalists. Despite never being recruited by UConn, her dream school, she was still excited to take her skills to Iowa.
“Her ability to shoot from beyond the NBA 3-point range and male shots is something that is very uncommon in college sports. She also is able to make shots despite her being way off balance,” senior Jacob Peters said.
Since her freshman year, already averaging 26.6 points per game, she took over women’s college basketball just like she did with high school. Her stats only got better after each year and she has taken the world by storm bringing many new fans to the sport. She is arguably one of the best college players of all time, men and women, and with such an amazing player it brings eyes.
From the 2022 to 2023 season the national championship had a 104% increase in viewership with an increase in all other rounds of the tournament as well and in 2024 the number is projected to be even higher.
“I’ve heard of her on TikTok and saw a few highlights. I’d say I was definitely impressed by her skills and there’s something electric about her personality that makes her fun to watch, even if it’s just glimpses. I think she’s awesome for the future of the WNBA, bringing more publicity and attention to a well-deserving sport,” senior Frans Rejsjo said.
The WJ girls’ basketball team even went to the Iowa v. Maryland basketball game, being able to see Clark play in person.
“I got the chance to watch her when the whole WJ girls’ basketball team went to a UMD vs Iowa game and I got to watch her in person which was really cool. She is an extremely skilled player who plays with lots of passion which brings much-needed attention to women’s basketball,” senior Maggie Cullen-Ising said.
She has gotten some heat the past year due to her fiery personality whether it is arguing with the refs, her trash talk or physical battles but she carries the same elements of that ‘Mamba Mentality’ from Kobe Bryant. She has to win and that’s what makes her special. She doesn’t leave anything to chance. It is her hard work, and the strict regimen that has made her so good, and whether or not it seems to bring some negative light to her, she is ready to win as seen in this year’s NCAA March Madness tournament.
“Her mentality is something to be admired as it’s uncommon. I’ve watched women’s basketball in the past, the games that she plays like the Iowa v. LSU game are very hyped up so I’ve started to pay more attention. I think her large personality also is great for women’s sports as it gives a greater chance to bridge the gap between men’s and women’s sports. She will bring her popularity to the WNBA, which could use a lot of that respect and media attention,” Peters said.
