University of Iowa’s star player, Caitlin Clark became the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader on Sunday Mar 3 2024 against Ohio State. Clark entered her last college basketball regular season game just short of Pete Maravich’s record by under 20 points. Clark ended the first half with 3,668 points, one more than Maravich. When Clark hit two free throws to put her ahead with .3 seconds to play in the first half, Iowa fans in the arena and online went crazy.
Watching a woman on a big stage in a less popular sport accomplish all that she has, inspires so many little girls and aspiring collegiate athletes to show their worth and achieve their dreams. Clark has dragged in a much larger fan base to women’s basketball and increased viewership in person and online. Young girls across Iowa are looking up to her as she and the Hawkeyes inspire the next generation of athletes.
“She is the biggest inspiration for me in that she has motivated me so much to, like, push past my limits,” said Finley McAvaddy, a seventh grader from Johnston, Iowa, according to KCCI Des Moines News.
Instead of taking a 5th year, Clark is set to head to the WNBA draft as she announced her entrance on Instagram on Feb.29, 2024. Months before the draft, Clark is expected to be one of the first round picks and the overall first pick held by Indiana Fever, whose ticket offices have been notably higher since her announcement.
During her time at Iowa, she has become Iowa’s all-time leading scorer and the first Division 1 player to record 3,300+ points, 900+ assists, and 800+ rebounds in a career. She was also named the AP National Player of the Week and Big Ten Player of the Week several times, and holds the Big Ten record for most weekly awards at 25.
Not only is Clark making an impact, this Iowa women’s team is well aware of the example they set for women. This team gives young girls something to dream of and dream for. After the loss to LSU in the Women’s NCAA Championship game in 2023, Clark said that she wants her legacy to be the impact that she has on kids and the people in the state of Iowa.
“Across all sports, the women’s game has always been looked down upon in comparison to the men’s. [Clark] is breaking barriers between the groups and giving all female athletes a spotlight. Empowering both me and women alike to not be afraid to play,” sophomore and All Bergen County second team basketball star Mia Vergel de Dios stated.
