Caitlin Clark has played a significant role in increasing the popularity of women’s basketball in the past few years. The Iowa Hawkeyes point guard is credited with bringing the sport more popular attention. Women’s basketball has been overshadowed by the men’s league since it was established. Her influence is nicknamed “The Caitlin Clark Effect,” and, according to the NCAA, has helped set a new attendance record of 8,784,401 for Division 1 Women’s basketball in the 2022-2023 season. This record smashed the previous one by over 150,000 more people.
During the 2023 NCAA Championship game between Iowa and Louisiana state, over 10 million viewers tuned in to watch, which was double the number of viewers in the championships the previous year. Perhaps this is because this is the year Clark set many new records and personal bests.
On February 15, 2024, during a match against Michigan, Clark set a new record for the most points scored women NCAA history. The previous record was held by Kelsey Plum when she played for the University of Washington throughout 2013-2017. Less than two weeks after Clark set her first record, she surpassed the all-time women’s record of 3,649 points. This record was held by Lynette Woodard back in 1981, right before the NCAA era.
Clark made even more history when she surpassed Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 points for most career points in Division 1 history for both men and women on March 3, 2024, a record Maravich set all the way back in 1970. Now, after a 91-65 win against Holy Cross, Clark currently has 3,798 points with a 28.3 scoring average throughout her four-year college basketball career.
Clark says, “Just to be in the same realm of all these players who have been so successful, whether it’s Pete or Kelsey Plum or Lynette Woodard — all these people have just given so much to the game. Hopefully, somebody comes after me and breaks my records, and I can be there supporting them.”
Clark also broke the NCAA Division 1 record for most three-pointers set by a man or woman, which was previously held by renowned Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry. She is also the first person to have over 1,000 assists and 800 rebounds. Now, Clark is going to the WNBA, and is expected to be the top pick of the April draft. This year is her last season of college basketball, so her final goal is to help the Iowa Hawkeyes win their first ever NCAA championship.
With Caitlin Clark as such a strong influence on the popularity of women’s basketball, everyone is looking forward to how she performs in the WNBA.
During the 2023 NCAA Championship game between Iowa and Louisiana state, over 10 million viewers tuned in to watch, which was double the number of viewers in the championships the previous year. Perhaps this is because this is the year Clark set many new records and personal bests.
On February 15, 2024, during a match against Michigan, Clark set a new record for the most points scored women NCAA history. The previous record was held by Kelsey Plum when she played for the University of Washington throughout 2013-2017. Less than two weeks after Clark set her first record, she surpassed the all-time women’s record of 3,649 points. This record was held by Lynette Woodard back in 1981, right before the NCAA era.
Clark made even more history when she surpassed Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 points for most career points in Division 1 history for both men and women on March 3, 2024, a record Maravich set all the way back in 1970. Now, after a 91-65 win against Holy Cross, Clark currently has 3,798 points with a 28.3 scoring average throughout her four-year college basketball career.
Clark says, “Just to be in the same realm of all these players who have been so successful, whether it’s Pete or Kelsey Plum or Lynette Woodard — all these people have just given so much to the game. Hopefully, somebody comes after me and breaks my records, and I can be there supporting them.”
Clark also broke the NCAA Division 1 record for most three-pointers set by a man or woman, which was previously held by renowned Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry. She is also the first person to have over 1,000 assists and 800 rebounds. Now, Clark is going to the WNBA, and is expected to be the top pick of the April draft. This year is her last season of college basketball, so her final goal is to help the Iowa Hawkeyes win their first ever NCAA championship.
With Caitlin Clark as such a strong influence on the popularity of women’s basketball, everyone is looking forward to how she performs in the WNBA.