Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is Great for Basketball — Women’s and Men’s

By On February 16, 2024
By Ken Reed

It can be reasonably argued that University of Iowa star hoopster Caitlin Clark is the biggest thing in basketball this season — male or female.

Clark is the all-time leading scorer in college women’s basketball history, passing Washington’s Kelsey Plum this week. She’s the Steph Curry of the women’s college game, launching — and making — 3-point shots from 10 feet beyond the 3-point line, and whipping passes to teammates who better be ready or they’ll take a ball in the face if they’re not.

Clark and her Iowa teammates played before a record 55,646 people in Iowa’s football stadium in October. Her trading card received a five-figure bid at auction. People ask her to sign their heads.

“People are jumping out of their chairs, drinks are flying,” said Matt Swift, who co-owns a dozen restaurants in Iowa City, home of the Hawkeyes. “It’s gone from something you maybe put on the television at the restaurants to mandatory TV.”

Iowa’s games at home are sellouts, as are most of their road games. Women and men alike have caught Caitlin Fever.

Bill Seaberg, played for the Iowa men’s team in the 1950s. He was so good that his #22 jersey (the same number Clark wears) hangs in the rafters of Iowa’s basketball arena. He says he hadn’t followed Iowa’s women’s team much until Clark stepped on campus.

“Her shooting is just extraordinary,” says Seaberg with a combination of awe and admiration.

March Madness is coming. If you haven’t caught the Caitlin Clark show yet don’t get shut out. You won’t regret it.

— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans

 
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