Caitlin Clark leaves the sport in great hands

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – There was little or no doubt that Caitlin Clark would be chosen with the top pick in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Clark was the best player in college basketball. That goes for both men’s and women’s college basketball. There was no one in the sport that got more attention or was talked about more than Clark.

This was a year where people were excited about the women’s college basketball more than the men’s basketball tournament. Clark was the biggest reason for that. The championship game between Iowa and South Carolina drew 18.9 million viewers, which was four million viewers more than the men’s final. People wanted to watch Clark’s last game before she becomes one, if not the best player in the WNBA next season.

IOWA CITY, IA – MARCH 25: Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) looks to pass the ball as West Virginia guard JJ Quinerly (11) defends during the West Virginia Mountaineers game versus the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship on March 25, 2024, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)

Women’s basketball is finally getting the attention it deserves. The question can be asked if it is getting the attention because the biggest star is a white student-athlete or at a moment when the sport is growing.

Clark has been breaking records throughout her college career and it is not because of her race, but because she is just a great player. She broke the record for the all-time most points in Division I history men and women. It was a record that the late Pete Maravich had held for 54 years.

Clark is well respected not only in Iowa but also by her opponents and other coaches.

“I want to personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport,” Dawn Staley coach of South Carolina said after winning the championship. Staley also called Clark “one of the GOATS of our game.”

“We need as many eyeballs on our sport as Caitlin Clark is putting on our sport, like every year,” said Staley on “CBS Morning.” “She’s leaving us after this season and need to be replaced with some talented players that are coming up, some talented teams. And I think we’re in a very good place because we’re in high demand. People want to see the talent in our sport. And if we continue that, those numbers will be consistent even when Caitlin leaves.”

Those talented players that Staley was talking about are in the sport and showed that they are also capable of having many eyeballs on the sport.

USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins is the next great phenom. Watkins dazzled as a freshman, leading the Trojans to the Elite Eight where they fell to UConn. Watkins finished the season as the No. 2 scorer (27.1 points per game) in the nation at the NCAA Division I level behind Caitlin Clark. Photo credit: Ser Baffo/News4usonline

JuJu Watkins had many people watching and talking about her this year. USC had not been a school that was talked about for women’s basketball in many years and Watkins brought that excitement back to the Galen Center. Watkins had a sensational freshman year where she was second in points per game only behind Clark.

“JuJu came to a program that while there’s a proud history, there’s been nothing significant done in many, many years, It’s very rare for a player of her level to go to a program that’s not already at the top. She’s answered every bell, coach Lindsay Gottlieb said.”

Watkins will have help carrying the sport next season with UConn’s Paige Bueckers. After her AP Player of the Year honors as a freshman, she had a couple of seasons where she had been injured but was back to herself this season. She helped her team get to the Final Four while averaging 21.3 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for UConn.

“We have the best player in America,” UConn coach Geno Auriemma said regarding Bueckers. “The stats will tell you one thing, but it’s when they happen and how they impact the game that’s so remarkable”.

Watkins and Bueckers are just two of other great players in the sport. AP All American Freshman Hannah Hidalgo of Notre Dame will also shine next season. South Carolina has plenty of talent and did not lose one game this whole season. They will be ready to defend their championship next year.

The question should be if Clark can also make the WNBA as popular as women’s college basketball? Only time will tell, but in the meantime, women’s college basketball is in great hands with plenty of talent for years.

Lead Photo Caption: IOWA CITY, IA – MARCH 25: West Virginia guard Jayla Hemingway (0) tightly guards Iowa guard Caitlin Clark (22) as she drives to the basket during the West Virginia Mountaineers game versus the Iowa Hawkeyes in the second round of the NCAA Division I Women’s Championship on March 25, 2024, at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire)


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