Since I started covering women’s basketball, there have been two names that I have been fascinated by: UConn’s Paige Bueckers and Iowa’s Caitlin Clark.
The latter in particular has really interested me because after seeing a lot of the coverage surrounding her, I am convinced that she is just the kind of player that the WNBA needs right now.
In her freshman season, Clark averaged 26.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 7.1 assists per game, leading the entire NCAA Division 1 in scoring. In her sophomore year, she took it up to another level by leading the entire NCAA Division 1 in points and assists per game with 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists per game.
She shared the 2021 Freshman of the Year Award with Bueckers, and as much as I respect South Carolina’s Aliyah Boston’s phenomenal season, I believe that Clark should have won the 2022 Naismith Player of the Year over her.
Caitlin Clark has taken the basketball world by storm
While she hasn’t exactly led the Iowa Hawkeyes to postseason success as they have been bounced out in the Sweet 16 and Round of 32 respectively in consecutive years, Clark has still taken not just the women’s basketball world, but the entire basketball world by storm. Kevin Durant had her on his podcast, and she received praise from stars such as LeBron James, Sue Bird, Ja Morant, and Trae Young. She has also drawn comparisons to Stephen Curry due to her unreal 3-point shooting.
If you look at mainstream media coverage in outlets such as the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, and SB Nation, the running theme is how Clark has basically become the face of women’s basketball. I want to hone in on that point by saying that when she makes it to the WNBA in 2024, she will be the shot in the arm that the league desperately needs.
What will her transition to the league mean for its future? Let’s take a look.