Caitlin Clark’s last Shot
Creator: Maddie Meyer | Credit: Getty Images
Copyright: 2023 Getty Images
Let's call a spade a spade. Love her or hate her, Caitlin Clark is single-handedly bringing interest to women's college basketball. Probably not since 2017, when UConn's women went 111-0 before losing in the Final Four, has there been so much interest in women's college basketball. This is no knock on the women's game at all. I'm not one of those naive men who thinks he can beat any WNBA player one-on-one. They would probably run circles around me. It's just how it is in this day and age. The women's game is usually overshadowed by the men's game, the NFL combine, or any football game. In 2023 and 2024, the women have blown the lid off attendance records. In volleyball, Nebraska women broke the record for the largest crowd to watch a women's event, with over 90,000 Cornhusker fans in attendance. A few months later, Iowa set the women's basketball attendance record during an exhibition game against DePaul in Kinnick Stadium, bringing in over 55,000 fans. The Big Ten women's championship game maxed out at 4.45 million viewers, 3.4 million people watched Caitlin break Pistol Pete Maravich's scoring record, and another 10 million viewers watched the 2023 women's National Title game. The common denominator, besides the volleyball game, is Caitlin Clark.
Clark has been the main media darling over the past two seasons for women's college basketball. This season, Clark has been the main headliner with her pursuit of the women's scoring title and then surpassing the total scoring record, overshadowing most, if not all, of the men's game. Really, what in the men's game has been as captivating as Caitlin's achievements, minus the stereotypical white Duke player acting entitled? Even that is glossed over because, let's face it, fans have come to expect such behavior from a white Duke basketball player. Even the fight that broke out between LSU and South Carolina during the Women's ACC Championship game only held our attention for 24 hours.
Does Caitlin have her detractors? Yes, but that's expected when you're as talented as she is. Granted, the flopping and crybaby attitude that emerges, especially after two court stormings, paints her in a bad light, but that's kind of what Iowa's women's basketball has become. How many times have Iowa's players, fans, and coaches acted as if the whistle was always against them? They always put their palms up when the whistle blew. It was evident in the Big Ten Championship game. Even the fans act entitled. I guess that's expected when your team has won two straight Big Ten Championships, made a significant run in last season's NCAA championship, and boasts one of the best players ever to play the game. But their behavior has worn thin on many. Then again, society often turns on sports stars quickly. Let's face it, Caitlin is a star. She was America's darling, and now people are turning on her. She doesn't help her cause, nor does her coach, but last season, people were able to look past that.
Is Iowa set for a return to the title game in 2024? It depends on who you ask. Iowa has been pushed to the limit over the past year. With regular-season losses to Ohio State, Nebraska, Indiana, and Kansas State, along with an overtime win in the Big Ten Championship against unranked Nebraska, it's understandable why some might doubt Iowa's potential for another run. Last season, Iowa lost seven games and still made it to the Final Four. Why would this year be any different? Caitlin Clark averages four more points this season (31.9 points per game) than she did last year (27.8). In fact, her scoring average has improved every year since she's been at Iowa. The only statistic in which Caitlin doesn't lead Iowa is blocks.
Love her, hate her, loathe her, whatever your feelings, the truth is she's incredibly skilled, and the Hawkeyes will go as far as she can take them. Is there mounting pressure on Clark and her teammates? Absolutely. The one achievement eluding her is a national title. She's won accolades and conference titles, made it to the title game, and will likely be the top pick in the WNBA draft, but she has yet to win the national championship for Iowa. That one accomplishment would complete her remarkable career, but there are 67 other teams determined to prevent that from happening.