A Spotlight On Women In Sports: Caitlin Clark
Written by: Ashna Balroop | Edited by: Adaria Crutcher
Six foot and the star guard of the University of Iowa Women’s Basketball Team, Caitlin Clark has risen to fame in college athletics. But how did this happen?
In her freshman and sophomore years at the University of Iowa, she was the leading point scorer of anyone on her team. During the 2022–23 season, she averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, 1.5 steals, and 7.1 rebounds. These stats led her to win the Naismith National Player of the Year Award for one of the best individual seasons in college basketball.
During her senior season at Iowa, she has had over 40 games where she’s made at least 30 points. To many sports analysts, her playmaking ability and skills are far from her competition.
Ever since she was a little girl, Caitlin Clark has displayed exceptional motor skills and coordination. She had extraordinary energy, and passion, and demonstrated competitiveness in school, so her parents enrolled her in various sports. She excelled in softball but decided that she was going to continue pursuing basketball instead. By eighth grade, she was playing at a high school level. Division One coaches took notice of her athletic prowess. By her sophomore year of high school, Clark was rated the №1 high school girls basketball prospect in America. Two years later, during her senior year of high school, she committed to the University of Iowa to play basketball, staying close to home.
Since then, Clark has brought an unprecedented amount of attention to the sport of women’s basketball in America. Fans of Clark show up to every game she plays. Tickets to her away games are always in high demand. Thus, Iowa’s games have become a sell-out. Caitlin has become a role model for many young girls interested in pursuing basketball. She’s a reminder to them that girls can excel in basketball.
Caitlin Clark is a remarkable women’s basketball player. She has made an extreme impact on the game of women’s basketball, doubling ESPN’s adult impressions last year from 155.6 million to 342.5 million. It will be interesting to see if Clark returns to Iowa for a fifth season or declares to go pro and enter the Women’s National Basketball Association Draft.
Sources
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Johnson, Miles. “How Caitlin Clark’s Start in West Des Moines Built a Homegrown Star at Iowa — Pavement Pieces.” Pavement Pieces — From New York to the Nation, 29 Nov. 2023, pavementpieces.com/how-caitlin-clarks-start-in-west-des-moines-built-a-homegrown-star-at-iowa/.
Kay, Brianna Mac. “Caitlin Clark Effect: How It’s Impacting Young Women’s Basketball Fans in Columbus.” The Columbus Dispatch, 21 Jan. 2024, www.dispatch.com/story/sports/college/basketball/2024/01/18/how-caitlin-clarks-popularity-is-inspiring-to-young-fans-in-columbus/72165891007/.
Leistikow, Chad. “Leistikow: How Lifelong Iowan Caitlin Clark Grew into a Must-Watch Basketball Star.” Hawk Central, 5 Feb. 2022, www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/columnists/chad-leistikow/2022/02/04/iowa-womens-basketball-caitlin-clark-stats-must-watch-basketball-star/9238866002/. Accessed 23 Jan. 2024.
McGowan, Matt. “Iowa’s Caitlin Clark Takes Mindful Approach to Stardom.” NBC Sports, 19 Jan. 2024, www.nbcsports.com/college-basketball/news/iowas-caitlin-clark-takes-mindful-approach-to-stardom.
Opiyo, Cabral. “Why Is Caitlin Clark so Popular? Exploring Reasons behind Iowa Point Guard’s Fame.” Sportskeeda, 4 Dec. 2023, www.sportskeeda.com/college-basketball/why-caitlin-clark-popular-exploring-reasons-behind-iowa-point-guard-s-fame.
