Caitlin Clark, the all-time leading scorer in college basketball for both men and women, was selected No. 1 overall by the Indiana Fever in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
A star for the Iowa Hawkeyes over the past four seasons, there was no question that Clark would be the first pick in this talented class. The Fever team is currently led by Clark and 2023 No. 1 overall pick center Aliyah Boston.
Clark has already entered her rookie season in the WNBA with millions of fans in tow, and is so popular in the sports world that legendary South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley has called her one of the best players in women’s basketball history. fascinated.
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Caitlin Clark poses for a photo after receiving a gift from Tissot at the players’ hotel during the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 14, 2024 in New York, New York. (Melanie Fiddler/NBAE via Getty Images)
Clark averaged 28.4 points in four seasons with the Hawkeyes, including an incredible senior season in 2023-24 where he averaged 31.6 points, 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game.
She broke LSU men’s basketball legend Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA scoring record last season, among many other accolades, including an NCAA Tournament record en route to a national championship. In the end, Iowa lost to undefeated South Carolina.
Caitlin Clark’s final three-word farewell to Iowa as her college career comes to an end.
Clark finished his career with 3,951 total points, including 548 3-pointers on 1,452 attempts and 37.7% from beyond the arc.
While Clark may not have wanted this to be the end of her career, especially after losing to LSU in the national title game the previous season, her contributions to women’s basketball over the past two seasons cannot be ignored. Ta.
According to ESPN, the national title game drew 18.7 million viewers to ABC’s broadcast, with a peak audience of 24 million viewers during the fight. This is 89% higher than last season and 285% higher than the 2022 National Championship Game.
Iowa Hawkeyes No. 22 Caitlin Clark celebrates during the second half of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament’s Elite 8 round against the LSU Tigers at MVP Arena on April 1, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Furthermore, since 2019, it has become the most-watched sporting event other than American football and the Olympics.
Of course, having the Shamcocks go on to an undefeated season would have helped ratings, but the “Clarke effect” had been in full swing for months before that, and many thought she could end her career with a national title. I expected that.
That stardom has carried over to the WNBA, which already has a number of stars, including New York Liberty’s Brianna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu, Las Vegas Aces’ Kelsey Plumb and A’ja Wilson, and Seattle Storm’s Nneke Ogwumike. It is expected that
“I know there’s probably a learning curve, but I’ve always had confidence in myself and I always tell myself that. You’re not here by chance,” Clark said in the draft. He previously spoke to the Today Show.
“I think more than anything, I’m really excited. This is a dream. I put this on paper when I was in second grade.”
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes celebrates victory over the LSU Tigers during the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Albany Regional Finals at MVP Arena on April 1, 2024 in Albany, New York. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
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The Fever will rely on Clark’s ability next season to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Indiana University finished the 40-game regular season with a 13-27 record last year after going 5-31 and 6-26 the past two seasons.
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