If you haven’t heard her name yet, you have best start getting to know it, and that is the University of Iowa women’s sophomore guard, Caitlin Clark. Clark was just recently named the Big Ten Player of the Week where she averaged Jordan-Esque type numbers of 38.7 points, 9.3 assists, and 6.3 rebounds in three games, where she also showed her ability to get to the foul line by drawing 21 fouls and being reliable from there by hitting 18 of them. The way she plays is breathtaking and she seems to have the personality and game to be one of the WNBA’s most marketable stars one day. I mean that smile in that picture says it all.
She had two 40-point games last week against ranked opponents, which included No.23 Ohio State (43), and scored a career-high 46 on No.6 Michigan at the Wolverines' home court to set the arena record for most points scored by a woman - the third arena record that Clark owns (Carver-Hawkeye Arena, Crisler Center, Pinnacle Bank Arena).
In that 98-90 road loss against Michigan, the Iowa Hawkeyes had a roster decimated to just seven available active players, which included the loss of two starters. They were down by as much as 25, but then that would cut to as small as eight due to Clark’s mesmerizing performance that also included 10 assists, giving her her 12th double-double of the season while also recording four rebounds, three steals, and drawing 10 fouls.
I mean look at the shots she’s taking with ease in a game!
Doesn’t that remind you of a specific Golden State Warriors guard that revolutionized the game of basketball? That’s right, as Clark is shooting from the logo with effortless ease like she’s Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard. The Des Moines, Iowa native has even been a triple-double machine this season, recording five of the season and six for her career with her most recent one coming in the Hawkeyes road win over Wisconsin, where she scored 27 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished out 11 assists.
Her six career triple-doubles tie former Hawkeye Sam Logic’s Big Ten record (2011-15) for most in their career and ties for fifth-most single season (5) and career (6) triple-doubles in NCAA Division I history.
Brooklyn Nets star forward, Kevin Durant even had some remarkable praise for Clark by stating, "I'm like, 'Who the hell is this? She is nice.' (Someone) said, 'Oh, she's the best player in the country.' I was like, 'Oh, damn. I see it now.' When you walk in and you don't know who anyone is, and they're like, 'Yo, that's the best player in the country right there,' that … hits you out of nowhere, like 'Let me focus in on her.'"
Clark now has a total of 30 Big-Ten weekly honors and will be a top pick once she’s eligible for the WNBA Draft in 2024, which is a travesty that the women have to wait until the age of 22 at the age of 19. She has helped lead the No.25 Hawkeyes to a record of (15-6), which is good for fifth in the Big Ten.
Clark is a tremendous talent who is averaging 27.4 points and 8.2 rebounds and assists while shooting 45% from the field. She looks like a potential game-changer for the women’s game, so let's all sit back and watch it unfold.
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