The WNBA and women’s basketball has always been overlooked and struggled to maintain viewership. Recently,Hhwever, the basketball icon Caitlyn Clark has completely changed the game.
Caitlyn Clark is already being looked at as one of the greatest and most influential women athletes of all time. She gained popularity when she played in college at Iowa because of her confidence in being able to make insane shots. Clark could shoot from anywhere and dribble through everyone, leading her to be the No. 1 scorer in NCAA women’s basketball history.
Clark is the first Division I player to top 3,000 points, 1,000 assists and 800 rebounds. She’s also the first Division I player to record 3,000 points and 1,000 assists in a career. She has 59 career games with at least 25 points, five assists and five rebounds — an NCAA record.
Clark became a basketball and internet sensation. She was pulling in fans and viewers for women’s basketball that had never been seen before.
Before the 2023-24 season even officially started, Iowa broke the women’s basketball all-time attendance record for a single game with 55,646 on hand for its exhibition game against DePaul in Kinnick Stadium, home to Iowa’s football team.
Even off the court Clark is gaining attention from everyone. She signed a historic eight-year, 28 million dollar endorsement deal with Nike in April that included a signature basketball shoe. Along with her Nike endorsement, she also has deals with Gatorade, Bose, State Farm, and Buick.
Caitlyn Clark is obviously a generational talent and has clearly brought in numerous amounts of fans to come watch her play, but why is she so good?
Caitlyn Clark grew up playing a variety of sports such as basketball, softball, tennis, volleyball, and soccer before mainly focusing on basketball. She was an athletic kid coming from an athletic background.
Clark started playing basketball at the age of five and competed in boys’ recreational leagues, which helped lead her to becoming a star. Her parents say that being involved in many different activities at a young age made her physically and mentally stronger along with becoming a better athlete.
Clark has basketball abilities that not many people have. She can shoot from anywhere, dribble, and pass the ball through defenders with ease. This makes her one of the most entertaining athletes to watch and no one wants to miss it.
Caitlyn Clark is an inspiration for the younger generations of female athletes all over the world because of her talent, hard work, and drive. Clark helped break the stereotype that “girls can’t play basketball” by proving everyone wrong. The WNBA will be forever changed because of Caitlyn Clark, and changed for the better. Her impact will be recognized for years to come and her career is only just beginning.
