Don't Take This For Granted
Apr. 2nd, 2023 — Angel Reese, LSU’s star forward, stared down Iowa’s Caitlin Clark as she pointed at her ring finger. LSU was well on its way to winning the NCAA title for the first time in program history and had done so in dominant fashion, beating Iowa 102-85. LSU’s victory started a year-long narrative about the Clark vs Reese rivalry which turned into a debate about race, class, and education. That narrative would boil all year long. Until Monday.
Iowa eliminated LSU 94-87 in a star-studded, ultra-competitive elite 8 battle. Their win will put an end to a great deal of media controversy surrounding the rivalry between the two teams and their two stars, but rather than focus on the invisible beef between Clark and Reese, let’s appreciate greatness while it’s still here.
Iowa would not have advanced last night without Clark’s masterful 41-piece to go along with 12 assists and a tournament record tying nine three pointers. If you have never watched or followed women’s college basketball, you’d think this was an out-of-body performance from Clark that will never be repeated. I’ll spoil that for you now. Clark does this all the time. Here are her ten best games from this season.
2/15 vs MICH — 49 PTS, 5 REB, 13 AST, 9-18 3PFG
12/21 vs LUC — 35 PTS, 17 REB, 10 AST, 12-21 FG
4/1 vs LSU — 41 PTS, 7 REB, 12 AST, 9-20 3PFG
2/28 vs MINN — 33 PTS, 10 REB, 12 AST, 12-20 FG, 8-14 3PFG
11/19 vs Drake — 35 PTS, 6 REB, 10 AST, 7 STL, 14-22 FG, 5-11 3PFG
11/9 vs VTech — 44 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST
1/21 vs OSU — 45 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST
1/27 vs NEB — 38 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 12-22 FG, 8-15 3PFG
12/16 vs CLEV — 38 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST, 13-21 FG, 9-16 3PFG
2/11 vs NEB — 31 PTS, 8 REB, 10 AST, 4 STL, 2 BLK
Those are video game numbers. Your favorite NBA player probably hasn’t put forth a 10-game sample like her’s this year unless his name is Luka Doncic. Numbers like those can only mean that the player has mastered the level of basketball that they are playing at.
Let’s spin this around. Anybody can have an unprecedented hot streak (just ask Jalen Green), but what about Clark’s worst performances?
11/16 vs KSU — 24 PTS, 6 REB, 3 AST, 9-32 FG, 2-16 3PFG
2/22 vs IU — 24 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST, 8-26 FG, 3-16 3PFG
3/8 vs PSU — 24 PTS, 10 REB, 7 AST, 5-19 FG, 2-14 3PFG
11/25 vs FGCU — 21 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST
2/18 vs PSU — 27 PTS, 5 REB, 15 AST, 12 TO, 8-23 FG
Even on her worst nights, Clark still finds a way to impact the game in more ways that one. Her season low is 21 points against FGCU and that came on a night where Clark only played 26 minutes and took 14 shots.
Reese’s supporters have been loudest about her being on the same echelon as Clark, but there are plenty of players that people try to say are in the same stratosphere as Clark. Frankly, nobody compares. I just referenced Clark’s worst games of the season—here are the stat averages of the five best and worst games for some of college basketball’s best players.
At her best, Clark is quite literally unstoppable, and at her worst, she still gives her team a far greater chance to win than any other star in college basketball, averaging what would be the third highest PPG in the NCAA.
Clark isn’t just running laps around current players though. Her numbers are record shattering over the course of NCAA history.
3,900 points are 1st all-time.
1,132 assists are 3rd all-time (Suzie McConnell, Andrea Nagy).
1,276 field goals are 1st all-time.
540 three pointers are 1st all-time.
808 free throws are 4th all-time (Kelsey Plum, Lorri Bauman, Jackie Stiles).
17 triple doubles are 2nd all-time (Sabrina Ionescu).
40.91 win shares are 12th all-time.
Finally, Clark also possesses the “it” factor that few athletes have ever had. While watching the NFL playoffs, did you feel like no matter how good the Chiefs’ opponents were and how bad their offense was, they would still win the Super Bowl because they had Patrick Mahomes? During the 2022 World Cup, did it ever feel like Argentina was going to win because it was fate that Lionel Messi would go out on top? That’s how Caitlin Clark makes you feel in the landscape of college basketball. Iowa certainly has its flaws, and yet, I can’t see a situation in which, in her senior season, the Hawkeyes fall short.
Iowa was handed a poorly shuffled deck of cards in the Big Ten tournament when they started out as underdogs to Purdue but would reach the finals to play Nebraska. Against the Cornhuskers, Iowa was down five with a minute remaining in regulation but miraculously battled back to win the championship in overtime. Clark and Iowa faced a gauntlet of obstacles and yet, I never felt uncertain that they’d come away with the hardware.
Clark will get her drafted number one overall in the WNBA by Indiana, might capture a title for Iowa, gives fans a treat every time she touches the court, and inspires thousands of young basketball players every day, but she is also helping women’s basketball make monumental strides towards equality in sports.
Prior to Monday night, the highest viewership for a women’s college basketball game was the LSU vs Iowa 2023 National Championship which reached 9.9M viewers. That record was shattered on Monday when the same two teams attracted 12.3M viewers.
Besides being the most watched women’s game ever, here are some other events that were out-viewed by the LSU vs Iowa showcase.
Additionally, Iowa vs LSU had higher viewership than any college football game from this season aside from Michigan v Ohio State.
Clark and Iowa have outshone the men’s tournament at times, too. Despite an average of 9.95M viewers in the men’s elite 8 games (higher than any women’s game ever before Monday), Iowa vs LSU attracted more viewers than every elite 8 game except for Duke vs NC State.
12.3M viewers are the result of a rivalry, a combination of star players, and a huge stage like the elite 8; it doesn’t just come from one player. Until you realize it does. Clark has drawn uncharted levels of viewership all season just by being the unrivaled superstar that she is.
Iowa vs Colorado broke the record for the most viewed sweet 16 game in women’s college history with 6.9M viewers.
Iowa had three of the top six and four of the top ten most viewed women’s games this season.
Iowa vs Nebraska’s Big Ten championship game was the most watched women’s game on CBS in 25 years.
Iowa vs Ohio State (Clark’s scoring record game) was the most viewed women’s regular season game since 1999 (3.39).
Iowa set attendance records throughout the season including selling 55,646 tickets to an outdoor scrimmage vs DePaul.
Just as the NBA endorses the WNBA, men’s college basketball does all it can to support women’s college basketball, but it’s clear that there’s a large attention gap between the two sides. Now, Clark hasn’t fully closed the gap between men’s and women’s basketball—no single player would be capable of doing so—but she has certainly gained a lot of respect and recognition from men’s basketball.
Yesterday, Luka Doncic said about Clark: “She reminds me of Steph Curry, man. She shoots it better for me, that’s for sure. Curry himself called her “must-see TV.” Shaquille O’Neal announced the other day that Clark was the “Best female collegiate player ever” and Kelsey Plum, who previously held Clark’s NCAA scoring record, said “She’s incredible… [she’s] so good for the game.”
All season long, particularly after she broke Plum’s record, NBA stars and celebrities praised Clark on social media.
Above any type of recognition from other stars is Ice Cube’s invitation to Clark to join his BIG3 league. No woman has ever played in the BIG3 before, but Clark’s absurdity on the court is enough to break down the barrier. Clark would still be able to participate in the WNBA—where’d she’d probably make less than $5M in her career—and would be required to play eight regular season games and two playoff games in the BIG3 assuming her team made it that far. I’ll leave you with Ice’s statement about Clark.
The skeptics laughed when we made Nancy Lieberman the first female coach of a men’s pro team, and she won the championship in her first year. Then Lisa Leslie won it all in year two. With our offer, Caitlin Clark can make history and break down even more barriers for women athletes.” —Ice Cube
Clark is a pioneer in women’s sports which is something that Twitter merchants and casual fans might not appreciate. But if you trace the history of women’s college basketball, there has never been anybody like Clark. Her dominance over her peers, record-breaking numbers, and worldwide recognition make her the greatest, most influential women’s college basketball player of all time. And throughout the next week, she’s got the chance to cement her legacy by beating the greatest college basketball program in history in UConn and knocking off undefeated South Carolina in the championship. Like I said before, the odds are stacked against her, but I can’t envision anything other than Clark hoisting the trophy next Sunday.
So, as my mom once told me, “don’t take her for granted.”