After rewriting the college record book during four seasons at Iowa, Caitlin Clark announced Thursday that she will enter the upcoming WNBA Draft and forgo the opportunity to return to the Hawkeyes for a fifth year.
Clark’s decision, which comes just days before Iowa’s final regular-season home game on Sunday against No. 2 Ohio State, had been threatening both college and professional games in recent weeks while establishing both the NCAA Women’s Division I as the premier college women’s basketball. scoring records.
“This season is far from over and we have many more goals to achieve,” he said in a social media announcement Thursday. However, Clark has cleared the way to become the first pick in April’s draft for the Indiana Fever. Her professional debut is poised to be among the most anticipated in WNBA history.
Since his first game with the Hawkeyes in 2020, Clark’s impact has been evident. He scored 27 points in 26 minutes in his collegiate debut, displaying the offensive brilliance that has become common throughout his career in Iowa City. She recorded the only 40-point triple-double in NCAA tournament history and is the only player in the NCAA era to record 3,000 points, 750 rebounds and 750 assists. He has set program records for single-game scoring (49) and career points, having scored 3,650 points, while leading the Hawkeyes to two conference tournament championships and their first Final Four berth since 1993. His team lost to Louisiana State in the NCAA finals. last season.
“It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who supported me during my time at Iowa: my teammates, who made the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers and staff who always let me be me,” Clark said. “Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and to all those who came to support us throughout the country, especially the little children.
—Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 29, 2024
“The most important thing is that none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been by my side throughout this entire process. Thanks to all of you, my dreams came true.”
Beyond the statistics, Clark’s impact can be seen and felt in the frenzy that surrounds every game he plays. Of the Hawkeyes’ 32 regular-season games this season, 30 were sold out or set arena attendance records for women’s basketball; the exceptions were Iowa’s neutral games in a Thanksgiving tournament. Before Thursday’s announcement, the average ticket price for Iowa’s home finale against the Buckeyes was already said to be more than $555, according to TickPick, making it the most expensive women’s basketball game in history . That value should only increase following news of her decision. Clark’s presence has also generated record television ratings, as she and Iowa have participated in the most-watched women’s basketball game in history on six different networks.
The 6-foot guard began her senior season by saying she was going to “treat this year like it was her last.” She said she would make the decision to stay in Iowa City or turn pro based on her gut instinct. With an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she vowed not to let the choice of whether to stay or go weigh her down. She reinforced that on Thursday, continuing to say that she was excited for what she had to come. Clark currently leads the nation in points (32.2) and assists (8.7) per game, and is the favorite to take home Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season.
In mid-December, when the Fever learned they would have the No. 1 pick for the second straight year, general manager Lin Dunn acknowledged that numerous potential recruits who had the option to return to school left “a little question about who might get it.” . But Dunn said he would urge all players who can get into the WNBA to get into the W. “I’m ready for them to go out, become pros, move on with their lives, let someone else play. I encourage everyone to do it,” Dunn said.
No. 1 ⏳
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 29, 2024
Dunn, and those at the Fever, are no doubt elated at the opportunity to include Clark on their roster alongside 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, who was the league’s unanimous Rookie of the Year last summer. “I think she’s very versatile,” Boston said. The Athletic earlier this season about what makes Clark special. “Just the vision of him on the court. “I think that’s very important and I think she does a great job with that in Iowa.”
Indiana, which has won just 18 games combined over the past two seasons, is looking to make its first postseason appearance since 2016 and break the league’s longest active playoff drought. Immediately following Clark’s decision, the team’s social media accounts sent out a post reminding fans that season tickets were available, urging them to “get on board.” Fever guard Erica Wheeler said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that she was already fielding requests from friends and family, as well as some people she hadn’t heard from in a long time who wanted tickets. “I can’t help you” she said.
Clark has already partnered with major brands like Gatorade, Nike and State Farm, and her national platform will travel with her from Iowa to Indiana. The WNBA will also benefit from her presence. In its 27th season last summer, the league reached more than 36 million total viewers across all national networks, up 27 percent from 2022 and its highest mark since 2008. The league’s All-Star Game was the most watched in 16 years, and that of 2023. The WNBA Finals, which included the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, were the most watched in 20 years. Clark’s arrival, which will officially occur on Monday, April 15, when the draft takes place in Brooklyn, will likely only accelerate that trend and the interest surrounding the sport.
“It’s fantastic for women’s basketball. It will be great for the WNBA when she arrives. Her game will translate,” said Becky Hammon, a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and coach of the two-time defending champion Aces. The Athletic in mid-January. “She’s special. “She is generational.”
the athletic one James Boyd contributed to this report.
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(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
