Caitlin Clark’s crossover superstardom is the greatest show in sports

When Michael Jordan arrived in Paris in 1997 for the preseason corporate show known as the McDonald’s Championship, the French press treated his appearance with Christ-like reverence. “Michael Jordan is in Paris,” wrote a local tabloid. France-Soircommemorated in David Halberstam’s bestselling book play to keep. “It’s better than the Pope. It’s God itself.”

Caitlin Clark didn’t inspire such flowery prose when she showed up in Evanston, Illinois, to play against Northwestern on Wednesday night, but she did have a good time with another god, Taylor Swift. There were several comparisons. Before the game, in a mile-long line surrounding Welsh-Ryan Arena, scores of young girls held signs with Swift lyrics and photos of the singer alongside Hawkeyes guards.

“I had the best time of my life watching 22,” the sign read, a callback to Swift’s 2010 song “Long Live.” Another article says, “Caitlin Clark is fearless on the court.” Of course, there was also a sign that read, “I don’t know about you, but I feel like 22,” with hearts around Clark’s name.

Clark isn’t as ubiquitous as Taylor Swift or Michael Jordan or even God, and he only seems that way when he’s on what is likely his final college tour in Iowa. Clark started his college career right after the pandemic, and his family was the only fan in the stands at the time. As a senior, she is a full-fledged national sensation.Clark’s appearance on Wednesday was the impetus. first sold out A historic women’s basketball game in the Northwest. On average, teams fill only about 22% of her 7,000-person arena.When Clark came to town, the line to get in started forming in the cold at 10 a.m.

Clark entered the game having made 112 3-pointers on the season, compared to Northwestern’s 111. as a team. This is an unbelievable statistic for others, but Clark has a habit of making unbelievable things happen right in front of his eyes. On this night, she broke Kelsey Mitchell’s Big Ten record for career points and moved into second place on the women’s college basketball all-time scoring list. She will likely overtake leader Kelsey Plumb long before Iowa State heads into the Big Ten Tournament.

Each remaining game in Clark’s college career will feel like a coronation, a chance for fans to shower her with admiration as she prepares to put on a once-in-a-lifetime show. That she’s doing it for a non-blue blood state school as a homegrown star from West Des Moines makes the story even more fascinating. Clark would go on to have a long professional career in this fight. WNBA And the origin story of Olympic USA Basketball has always been the best part, and it’s now unfolding for everyone to see.

“This is not just my fault,” Clark said after the game. “No matter what area of ​​life I’m in, I have people around me who help me succeed.”

Although Clark can defer credits if he wants, the atmosphere at Northwestern told a different story. The Clark phenomenon is a rare phenomenon, and opportunities to catch a glimpse of it are limited.

Clark didn’t need to be elevated to college basketball’s biggest attraction. That happened from the moment she stepped onto the Iowa City campus. Clark led the nation in scoring as a freshman and was third in assists. In her sophomore year, she led the nation in both categories. Clark became a star in the sport after videos of her moonshot step-back threes and nightly scoring bursts went viral, but she led the Hawkeyes to the national championship game as a junior. This brought her to new heights of fame.

iowa state title game match LSU It will go down as one of the most memorable women’s college hoops games in history. The in-game expletive between Clark and Tigers star Angel Reese sparked a month-long national conversation that reached the Oval Office. Although Iowa ultimately fell short, Clark’s thoughtful response to the debate established Iowa as a crossover star for the ages.

Clark entered this season saying this. Treat it like it’s your last time in college basketballEven if she had the option of returning next season in the “year of the pandemic.” While the WNBA awaits her arrival, Iowa State and her opponents are reaping the benefits of her. This season for the Hawkeyes, break attendance records It happened during a women’s college basketball game against DePaul in front of 55,000 screaming fans at the school’s football stadium.Clark has since crushed both TV viewership and ticket salesdrive Iowa’s record revenue, amassed millions of dollars in NIL transactions and saw her trading cards sell for $78,000. Somewhere along the way, she hit one of the best buzzer beaters I’ve ever seen and made a splash. michigan From almost half the court.

Clark’s performance so far in his senior season is clearly absurd. Despite the fact that her college games are eight minutes shorter, she has made more 3-pointers per game this season than NBA leader Stephen Curry. Her usage rate is above her 40%, which has only been achieved twice in her NBA history, but she is shooting a very high 64%, making her more efficient than ever before. I keep track of my points. Clark currently has a player efficiency rating of 46.4. Last season, the NBA record for points scored was 32.85, set by Nikola Jokic in 1962 when he broke Wilt Chamberlain’s mark.

Mr. Clark’s Basketball reference page It’s starting to look ridiculous Barry Bonds Baseball Commentary But there’s more to her game than just numbers. On the court, Clark feels like a combination of Curry and LeBron James. She can overwhelm defenders with her size, strength, and craftiness around the basket, and also has unlimited shooting range. Never before has a star been able to play so effectively off the ball while getting as much usage as she does. Combine James Harden’s pick-and-roll ability with Klay Thompson’s mobile shooting, and you start to see what Clark will look like this season. There is no perfect comparison for her, as she is a singular force in her own right.

Coincidentally, Clark became the embodiment of the growing popularity of women’s sports. The NBA Finals were played on tape delay until college stars Magic Johnson and Larry Bird entered the league. Will Clark have the same impact on the WNBA when we look back on it in 20 years? For now, she hopes to give both her lifelong Iowa fans and the young girls screaming her name a memorable show That’s what I think.

“You know, there’s a lot going on in the world right now,” Iowa coach Lisa Bruder said after the game against Northwestern. “So it’s nice to have something that people can enjoy and enjoy.”

Photo by: Michael Reeves/Getty Images

So far, there’s only one thing Clark has avoided on his rise to superstardom. It’s the champion’s ring. Clark spent four years at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, setting his own high school record, but he never won a state championship. She fell one win short of a national championship her last season with the Hawkeyes.

Clark has a great chance to get his first ring of the season. Iowa State’s roster has changed a bit with the graduation of longtime star post-scoring stud Monica Czinano, but the Hawkeyes are smarter and faster than last year’s Final Four team. It feels like there is. While LSU added a ton of big-name talent to the transfer portal throughout the offseason, the Hawkeyes didn’t add anyone to their rotation, instead relying on internal growth and retention to maintain their edge.

So far, it’s working fine. After a 110-74 victory over Northwestern, Iowa improved to 20-2 on the year. The Hawkeyes are very much in the No. 1 seed for the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Hopes for this postseason don’t seem to be on Clark, at least not yet.

“I don’t feel a lot of pressure in these games,” Clark said after the win at Northwestern. “The more people there are, the more calm I feel.”

In reality, Clark doesn’t need any further validation. Her impact on her state, school and sport is clear for all to see. Time is running out on The Caitlin Clark Show in Iowa, but the final chapter promises to be the most thrilling yet.