Caitlin Clark: The Face of Women's Basketball

 Her Show

The Caitlin Clark show is in full swing and then some. Known for sharpshooting ability from deep, the 22 year old has become one of the biggest names ever in college sports as she has just recently became the All Time Leading Scorer in NCAA Women's Basketball. Meanwhile, her popularity away from the court stands strong. Clark's jerseys and shirts are Fanatics' top selling college athlete addition since it began selling collegiate apparel in 2022. Clark has also obtained brand deals from Gatorade, Nike, and State Farm, while still receiving more opportunities day by day. With there only being two games left in the regular season, Clark has the opportunity to go one step further as she sits towards being the All Time Leading Scorer in Men's or Women's Basketball in NCAA history. Her dominate success in college basketball has earned her the title "Ponytail Pete," a reference to one of the basketball greats, Pete Maravich. Since she has exploded her game and went head on with the highly ranked LSU Tigers last year, Clark has made a new face for college basketball. 

Rare Talent

A native to the state of Iowa, Clark's commitment to her hometown university in 2020 has proven dominance for her and the Hawkeye's basketball program. Almost immediately, Clark was "handed the reins" of the team's offense, averaging 27 points as a freshman. In just her third season, Iowa had reached their first national championship title, ultimately coming short in the end to the LSU Tigers. Just one of the most impressive factors of Clark is her progression. This season, she is averaging just over 32 points with a shooting percentage of 46.9%, all  predominately from the three-point line. As she has continued to grow as a player, the attention and pressure on her game as only increased. 

"I started in a year where it was COVID, and you're playing in front of just your family and carboard cutouts," Clark told reporters. 

"And now to be in my senior year, playing in front of 15,000 people, it's special, it's historic." 

"It's not anything that's really been done in women's basketball before." 

Just like Steph Curry in the NBA and Sabrina Ionescu in the WNBA, Clark's ability to hit contested three-pointers from way downtown has made her an elite talent, as well as a star on social media. A prime viewing of her skillset came from her record-breaking shot, pulling up from almost the halfcourt logo with no hesitation, draining the shot with ease. This maneuver has been used be her in almost all of her game-showings, hitting the fans with shock. Despite the overwhelming attention, Clark has remained humble and grounded, according to her head coach Jan Jensen. Jensen remembers Clark saying to her team just after breaking a record, "Now, what else can we do?"

The Role of a College Superstar

Clark's popularity among college stars has not been an uncommon factor. Players like Zion Williamson, Kelsey Plum, Anthony Davis, Allen Iverson, and many more have set the tone for collegiate sports. What is arguably unique of Clark's popularity compared to the other stars is that social media and her possible future WNBA team have been followed more closely by her male peers in college basketball. Such a platform seemingly doesn't impact Clark too much. 

"I think I've embraced that role of being a name that people can identify women's sports with really well, I think it's something that I accept and I'm comfortable doing," Clark states. 

"If that's what's going to help our game move forward, if that's what's going to help women's sports move forward, it's just something I want to embrace and enjoy and be an advocate for."

 

Clark has recently announced that she has declared for the WNBA draft and will most likely play for the Indiana Fever after the team won the lottery for the number 1 overall pick in the next upcoming draft. For the WNBA often being in the shadows to the NBA, Clark's game in this league could possibly spark opportunities for marketing in this league to help it grow. Following the three-point contest between Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu, many people believe that Clark will join this contest next, even having the chance to beat these two known stars. 

"Let's get the four best shooters on the planet," Reggie Miller advocates for this contest. 

The ceilings are as high as can be for Clark, and her growth as a player doesn't stop here. If she can take over college basketball, there is no doubt that she will have the opportunity to do the same in the WNBA.