In recent years, it is well known that women’s basketball is not the most popular in the world of professional sports. Recently, however, the name of one player has been eradicating this previous negative notion women’s basketball has received and is the star of many segments and headlines in sports media. Her name is Caitlin Clark.
Clark is a twenty-two year old basketball player who attended the University of Iowa this previous collegiate season. She made headlines for her incredible skill and record breaking point numbers. Some of her achievements include becoming Iowa’s all-time leading scorer, setting an NCAA single-season record for 3-pointers, and breaking Iowa’s single-game scoring record.
Recently, Clark was also selected as the number one overall draft pick and will play professional women’s basketball for the Indiana Fever.
“I think that the amount of attention Clark has been bringing is a good thing for the progression of women’s basketball,” says Jayla Walker a QUEST senior. Walker has been a part of the lady Rams Basketball program for the past three years.“Clark has created a likable image, and has been using that to her advantage, and I think that’s a great thing for her and for the future of women’s sports in general. I hope that with the recognition she and so many other female basketball players have been receiving, the WNBA will finally get more improved pay, NIL (Name-Image-Likeness) deals, and other opportunities that will better promote a more equitable future for the whole sports industry.”
Clark is being offered partnerships with big name brands like Nike, State Farm, and Gatorade. This is something that all collegiate athletes aspire to achieve.
“Now she’s set to sign an eight-year deal worth up to $28 million with Nike, according to the Wall Street Journal,” said CNN on April 22.
Clark is becoming a household name, being invited to guest star on the late night show SNL.
Now this isn’t to say Clark is the only player bringing attention to the game because there are also many other players like Paige Bueckers and Angel Resse who became standouts during the March Madness tournament. Clark is, however, a standout in the game of basketball in general. Basketball enthusiasts even suggested she should be playing in the NBA. This caused much controversy as women in mens sports is still a sensitive topic.
On April 23 it was announced the Clark was being awarded the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) James E. Sullivan award which “.. aims to recognize the most outstanding athlete at the collegiate, Olympic or other amateur level in the United States based on athletic excellence, as well as leadership, citizenship, character, and sportsmanship on and off the field,” according to CBS Sports. Clark is the first athlete to receive this honor two years in a row.
Clark is now a role model for many young athletes. Young girls especially are following in her footsteps and parents are sharing videos online of their daughter playing basketball to mirror their new idol. That is something so special considering women’s basketball is usually forgotten. Clark is making sure that that stays in the past as we hope she continues to make headlines and make women’s basketball grow.
