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As “March Madness” continues, fans get to see the biggest basketball stars shine in their biggest moments. The NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournament is comprised of 68 teams. Some players create stories, they break records and are crowned as winners. Most players, coaches and fans fall short. Hearts mourn and tears shed as they reflect on their season. Some schools exceed expectations. Through this journey, regardless, community and support is gathered. Athletes not only impact their sport, but also their fan base. As you think about both past and present players, a person who comes to mind quickly is Caitlin Clark: a six-foot guard at the University of Iowa, from Des Moines, Iowa. 

Caitlin Clark has done it all in her four years at the University of Iowa. She has been named Big Ten and National Player of the year. She has won the Wade Trophy, John R. Wooden Award, Honda Sports Award and the James E. Sullivan Award. Clark was awarded “Best Female College Athlete” at the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly (ESPYS). This season, she not only broke Kelsey Plum’s all-time points record for women’s NCAA Division 1, but she is now the leading scorer for career points in all of NCAA Division 1 history, passing Pete Maravich men’s points record. 

What is maybe more impressive is the fact that Clark makes her team better in so many other ways.  

Clark’s high school coach from Dowling Catholic, Kristen Meyer, agrees. 

“She’s just grown in her ability to inspire teammates and help them, and give them reminders and get the most out of her teammates,” Meyer said. 

Clark will do whatever it takes to win. Clark is the only player with 3,000 career points and 1,000 career assists in Division 1 history. She has played in 59 games with 25 points, earning five assists and five rebounds. This is an NCAA record.  

There are so many awards, records and achievements that aren’t on this list. Clark has not only played the game of basketball at the highest level, but she is also bridging the gap between men’s and women’s basketball.  

The growth of women’s basketball over the past four years is remarkable. Clark has put Iowa women’s basketball on the map, selling out 17 games inside Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Only two other games have been sold out in their history. But more impressively, the whole nation wants to see her. 

“She’s, I think, the most popular athlete right now, maybe in the world. Which is so cool so see, and a little surreal! That not only are there little kids wearing Caitlin Clark Jerseys. The number of grown men I see wearing Caitlin Clark shirts and watching women’s basketball,” Meyer said. 

According to the NCAA, the Iowa Hawkeyes have helped sell out or break an attendance record of 30 out of Iowa’s 32 games at away venues, and an average 150 percent increase in attendance for the team hosting Caitlin Clark and the Hawkeyes compared to their other home games. On Vivid Seats, the average price to attend an Iowa women’s basketball game is up 224 percent from 2020 in which Caitlin Clark joined the team in 2021, and the average distance traveled is up 34 percent from just last season.  

Clark isn’t the first women’s basketball player to have exceptional play. Breanna Stewart and University of Connecticut’s (UConn) 4-year run ending in 2016 was one of the most impressive stories the college sports world has ever seen. UConn won four National Championships is four straight seasons, and Stewart was the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in each of those four seasons. Though she accomplished so much, Stewart’s impact didn’t seem to be as influential as Clark’s has been.  

So much of this is about timing. Clark’s career has seemed to be the perfect storm for women’s sports, as she came to Iowa in 2021.  After the sports world was shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it brought a new appreciation to fans. People missed the ability to attend games and watch live sports. In retro spec, the pandemic proved to be a catalyst for the increase in viewership of all sports. In unison, Name Image and Likeness (NIL) occurred across college sports. NIL is the ability for college athletes to make money off their name. Now, collegiate athletes can be endorsed by companies and have sponsorships, making a profit for the first time.  

Dr. Mark Slavich, an associate professor at Grand View University and teacher of undergraduate and graduate courses in the sports management field, explained: 

“You watch men’s March Madness, and you see Caitlin Clark in commercials during those games. Even if you aren’t seeking out women’s basketball, you are seeing Caitlin Clark, really as a basketball star. So you see her in Hy-Vee Commercials of course, State Farm commercial, and there’s so many more,” said Slavich. “The ability for that to occur is playing an even bigger impact and that’s just within the last couple of years that student athletes have been able to do that. I feel like this is the first year we are seeing athletes in commercials as we are watching them play in their games.” 

The more visibility Clark gets, the greater her ability to impact people is.  

Clark is not only bringing attention to her and Iowa basketball, but to all of women’s collegiate sports. The NCAA in January of this year reached a new 8-year media rights agreement with ESPN. According to the NCAA, ESPN will display 40 NCAA championships, including 21 women’s events, and expanding to D2 and D3. 

Clark is a catalyst for the continuing rise of women’s athletics. Clark has recently declared for the Womens National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft after this season. She will bring life to a new fan base, wherever she ends up.  

“As competitive as she is, it’s still about having fun for her, and entertaining,” said Coach Meyer. “So, she’s been a good reminder for me to yes, push players to improve and be really competitive, but also make sure to keep the game fun.”

The first pick of the 2024 WNBA draft is the Indiana Fever, and most would think that Indiana won’t pass Caitlin Clark. There are two things to think about as she furthers her career: How will she make an impact on the WNBA, and how will college basketball hold up without her?  

“The WNBA is going to see a growth. And I think that is much needed. So, Caitlin Clark and other stars in the women’s college basketball right now will really help the WNBA grow. I think we’ll see more people watch and attend WNBA games and so that will help that league,” Slavich said. He also predicts that wherever Clark lands, attendance will rise, as we have seen repeatedly throughout her career.  

As for Iowa women’s basketball, attendance and viewership may fall from this year’s numbers, but attendance should continue to grow.  

“In the next 10 years, it’s going to grow even more, both within the state of Iowa as well as within this region, Big Ten, as well as nationally you’re going to see women’s college basketball continue to grow,” Slavich said. “This is where Caitlin’s impact on the youth will pay off in the next few years. People who are in elementary school, middle school now, will be impacted and so the years to come. You’re going to see that growth as well.”  

But for now, the state of Iowa follows Clark on her farewell tour. The Hawkeyes are a 1-seed in the March Madness Tournament. Through all her accomplishments, a team National Championship is one that alludes her and the University of Iowa women’s basketball team. Clark shows that she controls what she can control, and never lets the game get too big.  

Aside from the records, and the wins or losses, Clark has impacted so many people so fast. She’s brought so much pride to the state of Iowa, the Des Moines Metro area and to the women of the world. She is impacting the youth by giving them hope and an example of excellence. Clark has already partnered with people to start the Caitlin Clark Foundation, which has a mission to uplift youth communities through education, nutrition and sports. She has put not only Iowa women’s basketball, but women’s sports on the map, as she has shown impressive performance after impressive performance. Caitlin Clark is a living hero to the next generation of women athletes, and she is bigger than the game of basketball. She isn’t done with her journey, but she has already forever changed the game.