Caitlin Clark, the GOAT of college basketball who paralyzed the United States with an astronomical rating before jumping to the WNBA

From 20 thousand people On Sunday they exploded Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse of Cleveland, for the final of the United States college league women’s basketball championship. In the first rows of seats you could see celebrities, personalities of hollywood and athletes and former athletes of the most diverse disciplines. An average of 18.7 million people tuned in to television to follow live what was happening in that stadium and how they transformed the match the most watched sporting event in that country since 2019without counting the NFL and the Olympic Games. Until huge Lebron James He paid close attention to the match and shared his analyzes live on social media. All because of Caitlin Clark.

the basics of Iowa1.83 meters tall, he brought the curtain down on his extraordinary university career and no one wanted to miss his last performance with the USA jersey. Hawk eyes. Why? Because by dint of triples and records, the one born in Des Moines 22 years ago revolutionized women’s basketball in NCAAhe turned it into a show as popular as himself NBA and he made him grow like no player before.

His figure is so great that when he left the field, with 20 seconds left and with the defeat against South Carolina condemned (it was 85-77), it was applauded by the whole stadium. And during the awards ceremony, Dawn Staleycoach of the champion team, took a couple of minutes to recognize her: “I want to personally thank Caitlin for elevating our championship. You carry the burden of our sport and I know you will also raise the WNBA. You are one of GOATS (Greatest of all time) in our sport.”

Clark’s numbers during his time in the NCAA are astonishing. In Sunday’s final he scored 30 points, 18 of them in the first quarter, an unprecedented result in that tournament. He averaged 31.6 points per game in his final season, in which he totaled 1,234. Throughout her NCAA career she accumulated 3,951 points, making her the leading scorer in Division I college basketball for both women and men.

elected twice “Player of the Year” (2023 and 2024) and the most outstanding collegiate athlete of any gender and sport last year, Caitlin is a basketball player with a difference. About her Her talent in playing with the ball, in making spectacular passes, with precision and speed, and in setting the shot from the dribble (something that has generated comparisons with Stephen Curry) differentiated her from her peers and rivals. And her offensive style, with a lethal outside shot that can hit from anywhere on the court (she added an NBA-record 201 3-pointers this season, most of them converted from long range in the NBA), has turned her into a nightmare for defenses.

“If you don’t freak out about Caitlin Clark’s game, you’re a total hater!!! Stay away from those people! Please,” LeBron wrote on Twitter during Sunday’s final.

“Caitlin can do just about everything on the court, score from any angle, shoot deep three-pointers and create for her teammates. But she also has that fighting side. She tries to do everything for her team because she can’t lose,” analyzed last year Kevin Durantfigure of Phoenix.

Clark’s only outstanding score was the title. He has played in two finals and lost both (last year, Louisiana State ruined the party). That’s why many refuse to recognize her as the best player in the history of college basketball. However, her legacy goes beyond statistics.

“People will probably remember our two final losses and things like that, but not every win or every defeat. I think they will only remember the moments shared in one of our matches. Or watching them on television. Or how excited their little children were. We were to see women’s basketball. It’s awesome and that’s what means the most to me. It’s really special to see your impact not only in Iowa but across the country. To be able to have that influence on the next generation is really awesome, ” he said.

The Clark phenomenon

Clark’s remarkable career began as those of many American athletes begin. Sports captured her when he was very young. He played softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis and golf (which he continues to play quite well), before focusing on basketball, which he discovered at age 5. At first he competed in men’s championships because his father couldn’t find a women’s championship for his age. And at 13 she was already playing (and shining) in women’s tournaments with girls much older than her.

When she was just 15 years old she received her first letter from a university interested in hiring her. It was the first of many. When he had to choose, he considered accepting her proposal Notre Damebut ended up leaning towards Iowa. Everything that happened from then on was a story worthy of legend.

As soon as she arrived at the NCAA in 2020, the year endorsement deals for individual athletes were given the green light, Clark became a brand favorite. Today she is the player who earns the most from sponsorships in college basketball, only behind Bronny James, LeBron’s son. Thanks to agreements with companies like Gatorade, Buick AND Nike, receives more than $3 million a year. If she signed with a WNBA team, she couldn’t earn more than $350,000 per season in her first four years, due to the league’s salary caps.

In her four years with the Hawkeyes, Caitlin managed to transform women’s college basketball into a spectacle that seduced everyone, men and women, fans of the sport and people with little interest in the orange ball, Iowa natives and all corners of the United States and the world. THE Clark-mania it expanded at a dizzying pace.

Iowa played to a full stadium – 15,000 spectators – every home game and nearly all (but two) away games in his final season with the team. To size it: Vegas Acerchampions of the WNBA, they averaged just over 9,500 spectators at home games last year.

Their last three games broke the record for the largest television audience in NCAA women’s basketball history. And the final, which had peaks of 24 million viewers, meant an increase of 89% compared to the title duel in 2023 and 285% compared to 2022, in which Clark did not compete.

Is it worth doing another comparison? Game four of the 2023 WNBA Finals, which took place in Las Vegas, was that league’s highest-rated game in 20 years, with nearly 890,000 viewers, with peaks of just 1.3 million. Another testament to the unprecedented impact of Clark, the basketball prodigy who is now a legend.

The draft, the WNBA and Paris

The end of Clark’s college career is just a new beginning. Coaches, players and experts are confident that Caitlin will make her mark in American sports history and go down as one of the greatest of all time. And the Iowa base won’t have to wait long to start writing her promising new phase.

In just a few weeks you will be able to take an important step in your professional career. April 15th in New York WNBA Draft and Clark will be, barring major surprises, the number 1 choice. Her presence has generated so much anticipation that for the first time since 2016, the women’s league has put tickets for the ceremony on sale. The thousand available were sold out in 15 minutes. Last week, the cheapest tickets at resales cost $340.

Indianawho will have the chance to make the first choice, has already organized a party for his fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse from Indianapolis to celebrate the imminent arrival of Clark, with whom the franchise hopes to reverse a difficult present. In 2023, the Fever they finished 10th out of 12 teams, with a record of 13-27.

In the middle of the year, Clark might even realize a dream. Because for him the possibility is still open to be part of the American team that will go Paris to seek his eighth consecutive Olympic gold. Caitlin is the only one of the 14 pre-selected players who played this season in the college league, the other 13 are WNBA figures. However, your chances are great.

He already has experience in defending his country’s shirt. She was twice world champion under 19, in Thailand 2019 AND Hungary 2021 and won in 2017 the FIBA Americas sub 16 which took place in Buenos Aires. If she is among the 12 chosen for the Games, she will be the youngest in her country’s squad and she will have the chance to begin the new phase of her life and career with enormous joy.