Of course, that's not how to measure Clark's influence on women's college basketball. Whether the Hawkeyes win or lose, the sports world will wake up Monday to face life without its heart-throbbing star — it would have been better to have her, but she's a 6-foot guard. I was responsible for using it as a trampoline. Clark didn't just change the game in her four years at the University of Iowa. She built her own economy, turned her talent into a business, and even turned her business into progress.
Five years ago, ESPN ranked the top of the 2020 high school recruiting class: Paige Backers, Angel Reese, Cameron Brink, Clark and Camila Cardoso helped the University of South Carolina finish 38-0 on Sunday. But with the Buccaneers being the only team not turning pro this month, how can women's college basketball continue its explosive popularity?
“The WNBA is doing it right,” the greatest player of all time, Candice Parker, said Sunday. “I think that's the next thing. So, whatever that means.”
“You have three hours?” she asked with a laugh. “I want to stop having this conversation that your best years are in college. I hope that stops in this generation.”
“This team came along at a really good time,” Clark said in the postgame press conference. We appeared on Fox, NBC, CBS, and ESPN. Going down the list, I appeared on every national television channel. I think that's one of the biggest things that helped us. No matter what sport it is, if you give them the same opportunities, believe in the same, invest in the same, things will really flourish. โ
This women's basketball boom has been driven by star players, led by Clark. Parker hopes the next chapter will be defined by the rivalry. She hopes ESPN finds a prime-time slot for Clark and Reese to play against each other for the first time in the WNBA. It shouldn't matter what jerseys they wear — just as Larry Bird vs. Magic Johnson transcended the 1979 title game between Indiana State and Michigan State.
The WNBA should also pay more, Parker added. But she predicts there will be a compounding effect if the league can convert more college basketball fans, especially new fans. Increased interest in the WNBA will lead to even more attention on top college players, and that momentum will continue beyond Clark and Reese and extend to the Buccaneers, JuJu Watkins, and beyond. Her larger, more avid WNBA viewers will want to know who's next each year. In that way, this moment, fueled by Clark, might not be temporary. In fact, it may have more momentum.
Iowa's semifinal win over Connecticut on Friday was the most-watched basketball game in ESPN history, averaging 14.2 million viewers (highest viewership was 17 million). The Indiana Fever is expected to draft Clark with the first pick on April 15th. Clark will begin his WNBA career in the May 3 preseason game. The Fever's regular season opener is May 14th against Connecticut.
“People love stories,” Parker says. โThatโs why you tune in.โ
Let's ask another women's basketball legend, Sue Bird, to find out.
“What we saw today were two really special storylines,” Bird said after Sunday's title fight. “…You played against Kaitlyn at Iowa and he obviously had a huge impact on the game. The conversation around her – does she need to win to be the GOAT? โ and let's follow her career and all the records she's broken. So, looking at this team that felt like some kind of fate was connected, it felt like it was fate that they would make it to the finals. You can even feel it, but you can see it unfolding. Meanwhile, South Carolina is trying to get a little bit of a revenge season going, making up for last year by going undefeated and winning it all. is the driving force behind the sport, and now we have it.โ
On Sunday, with 90 seconds left and Iowa down nine, Clark knifed inside and hit a floater short. Her shoulders slumped. She looked at her watch and shook her head. On most nights, against most teams, Clark would have looked faintly, foolishly capable. It's also part of her legacy. He is a license to question things far beyond logic and think big enough to laugh at himself. She scored 18 points in the first quarter, 13 of which came in two minutes of game time. She broke her career tournament points record in four fewer games than her previous holder.
However, the game may also emphasize mathematics. You will lose your possessions. And in the blink of an eye, four years are over, leaving behind an existential challenge.
“People don't remember every win or every loss,” Clark said. “I think they just remember the moments they shared at our games and watching TV and how excited their young daughters and sons were watching women's basketball. I think that's pretty cool.”
Sally Jenkins contributed to this report.