Caitlin Clark had a great college career with the Iowa Hawkeyes. Over four years, she took the team to two NCAA championship games, was the NCAA’s leader in scoring and assists in three seasons each, was selected to the first-team All-American unanimously three times, won the Naismith College Player of the Year award twice, and broke the all-time scoring record, among other things. Clark excelled individually but also led her team to plenty of wins.
Nevertheless, opinions on where she should be on a list of the best women’s college players of all time differ widely. ESPN, for example, left Clark off the list completely, selecting Breanna Stewart, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, and Cheryl Miller as the top five.
Clark’s fans were outraged, especially because ESPN seemingly used her name to draw attention to the segment. Selecting only five players when there are so many great names in the women’s college game is incredibly difficult, but it still felt rash how quickly Clark was dismissed simply because she did not win a championship in college.
Now, Fox Sports also released a women’s college basketball player ranking that has Clark listed second, behind only Breanna Stewart and ahead of Diana Taurasi, Cheryl Miller, Chamique Holdsclaw, Maya Moore, Brittney Griner, Candace Parker, A’ja Wilson, and Lynette Woodard.
Caitlin Clark got the respect she deserves, but it won’t last
Caitlin Clark deserves to be recognized for her accomplishments in college, especially if you consider the impact her rise to stardom at Iowa has had on the WNBA and women’s basketball in general. Her fans can finally enjoy a ranking that has Clark listed as one of the best women’s college basketball players despite the fact that she never won a championship.
However, it won’t last long. Being one of the brightest stars in the game means that people will always talk about Clark. Some will do so appreciatively, recognizing her talent and impact on the sport. Others will try to knock Clark any chance they get and criticize the few holes in her resume. Failing to win an NCAA championship is one of the few things one can legitimately criticize Clark for.
So, there will be more rankings that use that same argument to discredit Clark’s achievements in college and to get people talking. Clark has an immense draw on fans. Any segment that includes her will draw attention, no matter if the comments made are positive or negative.