“We have never seen anything like it in women’s basketball.â€
Basketball experts in the United States are aware that they have something unique on their hands.
About playing at the University of Iowa About Caitlin Clark became the NCAA’s all-time scoring queen the night before last Friday, and she now has a whopping 3569 points.
The previous record for women (3,527) was the current WNBA star By Kelsey Plum in the name, and Clark is not far from the next marker. He will soon have a chance to break too Pete Maravich’s the men’s record in the name (3667), which has remained intact for five decades.
However, in Clark’s story, points records are only a side note. Behind the achievements is a player who, thanks to his talents, has become a huge phenomenon in the basketball world.
What makes Clark so special?
– He is an outstanding player, extremely skilled. The easiest movements and performances for him are those that are difficult for others. The skill level is just something completely different, says someone familiar with the NCAA world Lotta-Maj Lahtinen.
Women’s national team player Lahtinen played in the USA at Georgia Tech University in 2018–2022 and has been following Clark’s career for a long time. He emphasizes this versatility, but also highlights another point of view.
– Clark is not a super athlete or particularly tall in terms of physical characteristics. In this way, the skill characteristics are emphasized even more. His success is based on countless repetitions and hours of practice.
An expert known from Urheilu’s basketball broadcasts Dionne Pounds agrees with Lahtinen. She has watched with enthusiasm the rise of several young female players to sports superstars.
– Clark’s throwing skills are insane. How far he can throw accurately, but on the other hand also consider his teammates. When Clark broke the all-time scoring record on Friday night, he scored 49 points, but also dished out 13 assists. That says quite a lot, Pounds reflects.
Although the 183-centimeter Clark is exceptionally skilled, Pounds knows what else fascinates viewers.
– He is unapologetic about what he does and what he can do. The public wants to see female and girl players who play with such confidence and know how tough they are.
The football stadium was full in the training match
The effects of the Caitlin Clark phenomenon are far-reaching.
The visibility and media attention of women’s basketball and sports have increased, and new fans have found their way to the sport. A huge business revolves around Clark, which, according to the market value of young athletes, is understood and utilized even better. Clark has lucrative cooperation agreements with, among others, Nike, Gatorade and State Farm.
Popularity is reflected in sold-out arenas, skyrocketing ticket prices and high viewership figures for television broadcasts. Iowa plays every home game to a full house, in front of more than 15,000 spectators.
Opponents also get to enjoy the ticket revenue, as Iowa’s away games are sold out or at least set a new overall record.
Last season, Clark led his team to its first-ever NCAA Final Tournament championship game, which was watched by a record 9.9 million viewers on television – more than half the number from the year before. In the fall, more records were broken in Iowa, when the team’s practice match gathered more than 55,000 spectators at the football stadium.
Role model’s difficult decision – WNBA or one more year?
Clark not only sets the sport’s current level of requirements high, but also shows the direction for future basketball players. Young supporters travel long distances with fan signs under their arms and line up for autographs after games.
– Role models encourage children and young people to dream. Clark shows them what women’s sports can achieve. The children who watch the games want to practice more, so that they themselves could one day play as a professional in front of large crowds of fans, summarizes Lahtinen.
Clark is in his fourth year in college, which usually means his last season before turning pro.
However, due to the corona pandemic, he has the opportunity to play an additional fifth year at the university if he wishes.
It is not yet known if I will see Clark at the WNBA booking event in April or if the charm will continue in Iowa. If he decides to participate in the booking event, the organization and supporters of Indiana Fever, who will be the first to book, will be happy.
However, the decision will have to wait until the end of this season.
First, it’s exciting to see where Iowa’s players will be in the spring NCAA final tournament, and whether Clark will lead his team to the coveted college championship.