G Fiume / Contributor/Getty Images
The social media age has had a massive impact on sports. This is particularly the case when it comes to basketball. With TikTok and Instagram, fans get to watch fun, exciting highlights. This has led to relatively unknown basketball players becoming more popular daily. Through her sharpshooting and creativity on the court, Caitlin Clark has become not only the most popular women’s basketball player in the world, but has also changed the discussion as to how we watch women’s professional basketball as a whole. In the process, she’s on the cusp of propelling this sport to never-before-seen heights — much to the chagrin of many of her basketball-playing peers.
The Early Roots
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Caitlin was born and raised in the city of Des Moines, Iowa. She had a very active childhood living with her parents and two brothers. Her family was rooted in love, faith, and the arena of competition. When it came to Caitlin’s interest in sports, her family’s history made the transition an understandable one.
An Athletic Family
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
Her father was a baseball player in college, and her older brother played football for nearby Iowa State. A host of other family members played collegiate sports as well — including uncles and cousins. With this pedigree, it’s not shocking to learn Caitlin began playing organized sports when she was a mere five years old.
It Was Always Basketball
Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Though Clark experimented with several different sports growing up, she always came back to basketball. It was her love, and her parents helped in fostering a plan to make her a basketball prodigy from a young age. After making the varsity team as a freshman, Clark’s career completely skyrocketed.
A True Prodigy
Rich Schultz/Getty Images
It was easy to see Clark’s talent from the jump. On one of the best teams in the state, Clark was the team’s leading scorer. She made all-state teams — crushing opponents with dazzling passing and shooting range that rivaled Steph Curry. By this point, she had become one of the best players in the country for her age group.
Leveling Up
Scott W. Grau/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Colleges had begun to take notice. Being in the Midwest, it only made sense that traditional College Basketball power Notre Dame would have interest. Clark initially pledged her services to play in South Bend. However, things developed in a way where she decided to play her college ball elsewhere.
National Recognition
Marc Piscotty/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Clark was invited to compete for a spot on the United States U17 World Cup roster. Ultimately, she did not make the team. The United States went on to win the event. One wonders if Clark not making the team may have motivated her to reach even greater heights during her illustrious high school career.
Staying Home
Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
After decommitting from Notre Dame, Clark opted to play at Iowa. ESPN ranked Clark as a 5-star prospect alongside the likes of future stars Paige Bueckers, Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, and Angel Reese. With Clark being able to play in front of friends and family, the aim was to put her in-state program on the map. That’s exactly what she did from the jump…
One of the Country’s Best
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
Clark brought a ton of hype with her to Iowa City. She was the state’s Gatorade Player of the Year and was also a McDonald’s All-American. Immediately inserted as the team’s starting point guard, Clark did not disappoint. The Big Ten had no idea what they were about to encounter for the next four years….
A True Star
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
As a true freshman, Clark averaged a whopping 26.6 PPG along with 7.1 APG, 5.9 RPG, and 1.3 SPG. Even more spectacularly, she shot 47.2 percent from the field and 40.6 percent from three. Unsurprisingly, she was selected as the conference’s Freshman of the Year. She was also an All-Big Ten first-teamer.
Continuing The Momentum
Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images
As a sophomore, Clark was even more impressive — averaging 27.0 PPG and 8.0 APG. She began garnering the national accolades, earning First Team All-America honors. While Iowa bowed out relatively early in the NCAA Tournament that year, it did set the stage for Clark to become a household name the following season during her junior campaign.
Clark Has Arrived
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Clark’s junior year was transcendent. She was the best player in the sport. Her ability to find teammates via her slick passing was on display every game. Clark also developed into even more of a lethal scorer. She had range beyond the NBA three-point line, and she had improved in driving the ball to the basket. All of these things coincided with Clark winning virtually every major award nationally. She even scored 40+ points in back-to-back NCAA Tournament games. However, this season was remembered most by the National Championship Game versus the LSU Tigers.
The LSU Game
Lance King/Getty Images
Iowa had never been to the National Championship Game before Clark’s arrival. The sport had been growing in popularity, and Clark’s fantastic run during this tournament increased her notoriety with the general public. Standing in the Hawkeyes’ way was LSU — the uber-talented team led by elite player Angel Reese. Never had there been a more highly-anticipated game in the sport’s history.
The Media Narrative
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
There were those in the media pitting Reese and Clark against one other. Clark was perceived by many as the girl-next-door darling, whereas LSU and Reese weren’t necessarily receiving the same sort of love. On the heels of Iowa upsetting South Carolina in the Final Four, it wasn’t shocking to learn that this Iowa-LSU National Championship Game drew a record 9.9 million viewers. While LSU won the game by a score of 102-85, that wasn’t the primary story coming from the game.
Some Trash Talk
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Despite Clark scoring 30 points and nailing eight three-point shots, LSU was simply too good for Iowa. Towards the final whistle, Reese had playfully talked some trash at Clark — which included pointing at her ring finger. This was potentially in response to Clark being rather demonstrative in past games when celebrating a made shot or a big play. Many (unfairly) threw scrutiny at Reese for how she acted on the court. When asked about the scene, Clark had a different take.
Clark on Reese
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Clark offered these thoughts on the incident (per ESPN):
“I don’t think Angel should be criticized at all. No matter which way it goes, she should never be criticized for what she did. I’m just one that competes, and she competed. I think everybody knew there was going to be a little trash talk. It’s not just me and Angel. I don’t think she should be criticized, like I said. LSU deserves it. They played so well. Like I said, I’m a big fan of hers.”
The Impact
Ben Solomon/NCAA Photos via Getty Images
The impact of this game is still felt today. For the first time potentially ever in the sport of Women’s College Basketball, a fierce rivalry a la Magic Johnson and Larry Bird had been built. Even more so, it became a national story — and one that illuminated the immense talent the sport had always had. However, with this platform, it raised Clark’s profile to even bigger heights.
Senior Year
Matthew Holst/Getty Images
Heading into her senior year, Clark was the true face of College Basketball. She ended her collegiate career averaging 31.6 PPG, 8.9 APG, and 7.4 RPG. While Iowa did lose again in the National Championship Game — this time to South Carolina — it didn’t impact Clark’s future as an elite pro prospect.
The Accolades
Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Clark earned the National Player of the Year title for the second time in a row. Additionally, she set a host of records for both Iowa Women’s Basketball and the NCAA. The Indiana Fever ended up winning the WNBA lottery — which meant Clark was staying in the Midwest to begin her professional career. To say those in Indiana were excited would be a massive understatement…
The Pressure is On
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Even before Clark was drafted, the average price of an Indiana Fever basketball increased 133 percent from a season ago. Once Clark was selected, multiple games on the schedule had to be moved to bigger venues to account for the interest in seeing Clark play live. She was now the face of a professional franchise. The pressure to succeed and perform at a high level is something Clark will have to deal with for the foreseeable future.
The Interest
Craig Hudson for The Washington Post via Getty Images
To put it into perspective, over 20,000 fans watched Clark and the Fever play against the Washington Mystics on June 7, 2024. Reportedly, there were more people in attendance watching this regular season game compared to the NBA Finals in Boston. While Clark has been talked about nearly daily on talk shows and sports programs, there was one incident versus the Chicago Sky that drew the attention of millions around the country.
The Chennedy Carter Play
Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
A bigger narrative had been growing over the perceived ‘physicality’ Clark had been enduring at the hands of WNBA veterans. With Clark drawing so much attention, it’s conceivable to think that she’ll be getting her “welcome to the league” treatment with hard fouls. In a contest versus the Sky, guard Chennedy Carter seemingly took it a step too far — blindsiding Clark with a body check. Carter was given a flagrant foul on the play.
Is Jealousy At Play?
Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
While no current player will outright come out and say it, there could be some jealousy at play with Clark and the attention she’s drawing. She’ll have to prove herself in a league littered with talented players. On the other hand, the attention she’s giving the league is a good thing. With more eyeballs on the WNBA, it would in theory help to grow the league — but also introduce more players with the potential to be household names akin to Clark.
The Olympic Snub
ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images
Somewhat surprisingly, Clark was left off the Olympic team roster ahead of this summer’s tournament in Paris. One could potentially question whether Clark was good enough to make the squad. However, the impact of her being on the team could help grow the sport even further on a global stage. Somewhat similar to Christian Laettner being on the famed 1992 Dream Team, Clark probably is even more deserving of a spot on the team comparatively speaking to the former Duke forward.
A Role Model
Greg Fiume/Getty Images
Clark’s influence on basketball cannot be understated. Thousands upon thousands of fans are coming to games strictly to see her play. Even more are watching her on various streaming platforms. Her dedication to connecting with young girls is quite strong, and as such, she’s turning herself into a real role model for many across the country.
Fun Off The Court
Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images
Surprising everyone, Clark made a guest appearance on Saturday Night Live. In the famed Weekend Update segment, Clark had a monologue that was quite funny. With her persona becoming bigger and bigger, you can expect her to appear even more in pop culture — whether it be in film, on television, or any other medium.
The Caitlin Clark Effect
G Fiume/Getty Images
Clark is already establishing herself as one of the league’s best young talents. She’s more than held her own statistically speaking early in her career. As she continues to become more comfortable against a higher level of competition, the sky is the limit for Clark and what she can provide for the game of basketball. We’re looking at a trailblazer with the ability to essentially grow a sport that’s been sorely lacking in representation and universal appreciation for quite some time.
