To say that Caitlin Clark is the next big thing in US basketball is quite the understatement. The 22-year-old basketball player is currently the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer (across both the men’s and women’s leagues), and is regarded as one of the best players in college basketball history. Just casually?
The fun fact: Caitlin actually kicked off her humble basketball career at age five, where she competed in the boy’s league given her dad couldn’t find one for girls her age (and totally dominated the scene there too, as expected).
Caitlin burst onto the scene in her freshman season with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where she led the NCAA Division I in scoring and earned All-American honours. She basically won every award you can think of, including all major national player of the year awards (and also led Iowa to its first ever national championship game). Her college basketball career has gone from strength to strength, and she is estimated to be one of the top earners among college athletes for name, image, and likeness deals (NIL).
This current March Madness season has seen her personal brand, audience interest and ticket sales skyrocket. People are crediting Caitlin with boosting national interest in women’s basketball, and have referred to it as the “Caitlin Clark effect.” AP and USA Today have both named Caitlin behind the huge increases in attendance and television viewership. Her name against Colorado drew in nearly 6.9 million viewers on the ABC alone.
In February this year, Caitlin announced that she would declare for the 2024 WNBA draft - so it’s only going to get more exciting (if that’s even possible).