Caitlin Clark: Has She Changed the Game Forever?
Originally published April 21, 2024
I can’t write a blog about women’s basketball without discussing the face of the game in my first post… Caitlin Clark. If you follow sports or read the news in any way, you’ve probably seen the buzz around her. She’s a women’s basketball phenomenon who plays the game better than anyone we’ve seen in a long time.
If you don’t know who she is, here are some things she’s done in the last few months alone:
Led her Iowa basketball team to the women’s NCAA championship game for the second year in a row. The team took second in both years, but Clark scored an amazing 30 points in each game.
Broke a 54-year-old record and became the NCAA Division-1 all-time leading scorer for both men’s and women’s basketball.
Passed Steph Curry for the most three-pointers in a single season of NCAA division-1 basketball.
Was the first-round draft pick in the WNBA going to the Indiana Fever.
You get the picture. She’s changing the game every day and these are just the things she’s done on the court.
The thing that interests me the most about Clark is how she has affected the game’s reputation and economic status. A recent article by The Guardian talks about the lasting impression Clark is going to have on basketball as a whole. Clark has made herself a “household name” through her consistently incredible performances. She’s been molding her reputation as a player since her freshman year of college which makes her that much more interesting to watch. Her games are exciting, her attitude is positive and she has fun while playing. All these aspects of her character play into fans coming to watch her and her team.
It’s well-known that men’s basketball is more often watched than women’s but Clark is changing things. She has quickly become the face of college basketball. The commercial value of women’s basketball has reached new heights this year with so many stars like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Cameron Brink. Clark has led this charge with partnerships with Gatorade, Nike and much more. Her superstardom has allowed Iowa to sell out every women’s game this season. Iowa games have seen TV audiences as large as 2 million people which is unheard of for women’s basketball. The monetary value she has created is something the sport has never seen. Her fame has allowed the women’s NCAA March Madness tournament to strike a new deal with ESPN valued at $65 million per year. This almost triples the value of the tournament from past years.
Image Credit: “2024 Big Ten tournament final – Caitlin Clark 2” by John McClellan is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
Caitlin Clark is the culmination of what women’s basketball fans have been fighting for for years. She’s proving daily that the sport is just as interesting, if not more interesting than men’s basketball. I hope the momentum Clark has will follow her into the WNBA. With the season starting next month, it will be interesting to see how much the ratings increase with Clark joining the Indiana Fever. Her stellar image in the public eye and incredible skill give her a rare opportunity to elevate a sport that has been neglected for so many years.
The future of women’s basketball looks bright and Caitlin Clark is in the spotlight!
Featured Image: “Caitlin Clark Big Ten tournament 2024” by John Mac is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.