In honor of Women’s History Month, there is a female athlete I want to highlight. That athlete is college basketball player, Caitlin Clark.
If you don’t know who Caitlin Clark is, she is arguably the best women’s basketball player in the NCAA right now. Honestly, she is probably the best women’s basketball player period. She currently plays for the University of Iowa and is set for a successful career in the future.
Clark was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and started playing basketball at age 5. She competed in the Boys division because growing up her father couldn’t find a Girls group for her age division. She played 4 years of varsity basketball at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines before committing to Iowa.
“I’m all about growing the women’s game and I’m glad I’ve given something that little girls can scream about at the top of their lungs. I can imagine when I was younger, I was doing the exact same thing watching on TV. It’s pretty fun.”
Caitlin Clark after winning against No. 2 Indiana
In her first collegiate game, Clark recorded double-digit points at 27 and in her second she recorded her first double-double, when a basketball player gets ten or more in two of the following categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. So, safe to say she began her career with a bang.
Now, I want to talk about the reason she’s been making headlines recently. On Feb. 15, Clark played against Michigan knowing she might break a record. This wasn’t any record though, she was looking to break the NCAA all-time scoring record for women’s basketball. She entered the game with 3,520 points and needed 8 points to break the record. Well, she recorded 49 points, not only breaking the all-time scoring record, and went down in history as she broke the Iowa single-game scoring record.
She wasn’t done yet though! Before the NCAA, there was the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women. Lynette Woodard had held the record for the most points at 3,649. Well, Clark beat that record as well during the Iowa game on Feb. 28.
If you thought those were all the records she’s broken this season, you’d be wrong. Most recently, she broke a major record on March 3. In the final, dwindling seconds of the Iowa versus Ohio State game, Clark was awarded two free throws. Making both of those, she broke the record for the most career points for both men and women in the NCAA. The record was previously held by Pete Maravich at 3,667. Clark started the game on Sunday with 3,650 points.
I could go on and on about all of her achievements, but I really would like to shed light on the inspiration she has had for so many women.
Before Caitlin Clark, many people could not name one female college basketball player. But now, it could be argued that “Caitlin Clark” is a household name. When she broke the all-time scoring record for women’s basketball videos were posted everywhere of girls young and old reacting to her game. There are also several videos of little girls receiving Clark jerseys and t-shirts for Christmas that just warms your heart.
There’s one video in particular that comes to mind when I think about Clark’s impact on women around the world. Several little girls are watching the television as Clark attempts to break the record. They can be seen chanting “Go Caitlin” with looks of anticipation on their faces. When she finally broke the record, they all screamed and threw confetti everywhere.
She has become such an inspiration to all women trying to become professional athletes or make it in the sports field. She has proven that she belongs in athletics and that any woman does too. I don’t doubt that she will continue to break more and more records as her career progresses.
Recently, she announced her decision to declare for the 2024 WNBA (Women’s National Basketball League). While she will be missed in Iowa, she is destined for greatness professionally as part of the WNBA.