Clark in her debut game with the Indiana Fever.
Michael Ainsworth/AP
The 2024 WNBA season is the most anticipated women’s basketball season since the league first debuted nearly three decades ago. Women’s basketball is becoming more and more popular, with an escalating number of viewers and an all-time high game attendance. The reason behind this increase in popularity is known as “The Caitlin Clark Effect.” Caitlin Clark is currently the most watched women’s basketball player, and her recent rise to fame has attracted much attention to women’s basketball.
Clark had an incredibly successful college career, attending the University of Iowa and playing as a point guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes. As a freshman she was the top Division I scorer and earned the title of All-American which she continued to do throughout her entire collegiate career. In Clark’s sophomore season, she averaged twenty-seven points and eight assists per game, and she recorded the most points and assists that season. As a junior she was awarded National Player of the Year, and steered the Hawkeyes to their first national championship game.
This year, Clark’s senior season with the Hawkeyes has evidently been the most triumphant. She was once again awarded National Player of the Year, and led the Hawkeyes to the national title game for a second consecutive season. On March 3, she became the NCAA men’s and women’s all-time leading scorer in her 130th career game against Ohio State. Over her entire collegiate career, she recorded more than 3800 points, more than 1000 assists, and more than 950 rebounds. Clark is now widely regarded as one of the greatest women’s college basketball players of all time, and many have speculated over what her post-college career will look like.
In February of this year, Clark shared that she would declare for the 2024 WNBA draft in April. As many sports experts expected, on April 15, Clark was selected as the first overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever. Clark made her WNBA debut on May 9 at the preseason home game against the Atlanta Dream. More than thirteen thousand people attended to watch Clark’s first appearance, an unexpected crowd size for a preseason WNBA game. The game ended with a victory for the Fever, with a final score of 83-80. Clark scored twelve points with eight rebounds and six assists.
With Clark now facing much tougher competition and strong defensive talent in the WNBA, sports experts are eager to see what the 2024 season will bring. In addition, many anticipate seeing her appear on the Olympic team this summer in Paris. While the rosters for WNBA teams consist of twelve players, the Olympic team only has five players that are handpicked by a committee led by Connecticut Sun team president, Jennifer Rizzoti. Clark will have to prove herself during the first half of the WNBA season in order to be considered for Paris, especially since older and more experienced players are typically preferred for the Olympic team.
All eyes are on Caitlin Clark for the 2024 season, with everyone eager to see what she will do with all the added pressure of being in the spotlight. Sports experts have no doubt that Clark will continue to perform exceptionally, and it is evident that she will be a huge asset to the Indiana Fever and the WNBA as a whole.