Caitlin Clark left a lasting legacy across American society and culture – on and off the basketball court – starting at the age of 22.
Clark, of West Des Moines, Iowamade his collegiate debut for the Iowa Hawkeyes in 2020 and also represented the United States at the youth international level.
Since then, she has been immortalized as the leading scorer in college basketball history, accumulating 3,951 points in four seasons.
In March, she passed five-time NBA All-Star and college basketball legend Pete Maravich for the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) all-time scoring record, which had held for more than half a century .
His impact on NCAA attendance has helped set or break records in all but two of the Hawkeyes’ games in 2023-24.
The “Caitlin Clark Effect,” as it’s known, transformed women’s basketball forever. Here’s how she did it.
The game of notes
College basketball is highly anticipated at the start of the year, culminating with “March Madness” – a single-elimination tournament to determine the NCAA champion.
More than 12 million people watched the April 2 Elite Eight (quarterfinal) game against LSU, where Clark scored 41 points.
Clark (right) is expected to be selected by the Indiana Fever in this year’s WNBA Draft. Photo: AP
This year’s Iowa-South Carolina national championship game averaged 18.7 million viewers, an 89% increase from the previous year, making it the highest-ranked basketball game rated for five years, male or female, at all levels. South Carolina won the game 87-75.
At its peak, the match was seen by 24 million people across America.
Clark’s presence in the WNBA will be a game-changer
To put that in perspective, the 2023 WNBA Finals averaged 728,000 viewers over four games, with 889,000 watching the Las Vegas Aces win the championship.
Among the 12 WNBA teams, the Indiana Fever had the second lowest attendance in 2023.
This is their second straight draft with the No. 1 pick and they chose Clark.
Name, image, likeness
The 22-year-old signed lucrative endorsement deals with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm and Panini – all before turning professional.
Name, image and likeness (NIL) restrictions were lifted in June 2021, following a Supreme Court ruling. This historic moment allowed student-athletes to earn money through advertisements and endorsements, whereas previously they were not allowed to until they turned professional.
She has signed endorsement deals with big names. Photo: Reuters
According to the NIL On3 database, Clark earned $3.1 million (£2.4 million) from endorsement deals, ranking first among women’s basketball players and fourth among student-athletes.
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Caitlin Clark vs. Stephen Curry
In 2023-24, Clark had the most NCAA three-point shooting season of all time for any gender with 201.
She surpassed previous co-record holder and four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry with 162 in 2007-08.
Stephen Curry. Photo: AP
Clark holds the record for most three-pointers in NCAA history, making 548 during his four years at the University of Iowa.
The future
While Clark may have fallen short of winning the ultimate title of a national championship, her lasting impact on women’s basketball cannot be understated.
The Iowa legend grew ratings, attendance and merchandise sales to unprecedented heights.
Off the field, his star power has opened up growing financial opportunities for student-athletes.
With Clark being selected as the first overall pick, this is just the beginning.
