Alright, let's do this one more time. Count the awards.
WNBA Rookie of the Year. AP Female Athlete of the Year. TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year. Sporting News Athlete of the Year. First-year WNBA All-Star. The keynote speaker for the Women's Sports Awards in Kansas City. The list goes on and on.
It seemed like Clark was destined for this recognition from the moment she was drafted frist overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She was already arguably the biggest name in sports before she even began her senior season at Iowa. She took the nation by storm, and that hype is yet to let up.
Clark was a Top 10 scorer in the WNBA this season, averaging 19.2 points per game, and led the league in assists. She shot 34.4% from the three-point line, attempting and making more threes than anyone else leaguewide. She recorded 12 double-doubles, trailing only Chicago's Angel Reese for most by a rookie this season, and a pair of triple-doubles. Before this season, no rookie had recorded a triple-double... ever.
Clark did it in 22 professional games.
Clark also brought a ton of attention to women's sports. Fever games, both on the road and at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, were almost all sold out (Fox 59 Indianapolis reported that all but four of the Fever's 40-game schedule were played in front of sellout crowds). Clark's jersey was the highest-selling jersey leaguewide.
Yet somehow, Clark is at the wrong end of more controversy than she deserves. She is criticized for her fans, many of which are just supportive of the young phenom. There are few, however, that use her name to spread hate. Clark has denounced these people publicly.
What cannot be denied is this: Women's basketball is on the rise. More people are watching than ever before. Ticket sales, TV ratings, merchandise sales, and athlete endorsement deals are all at all-time highs.
Caitlin Clark is a huge reason why all of this is possible.