Caitlin Clark mania drives sellout crowds for women’s basketball

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With the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament sold out for the first time, Caitlin Clark mania has firmly taken hold across the nation.

The 6-foot basketball phenom’s No. 22 Iowa jerseys and shirts have been on backorder for weeks. “Clarkies” line up for hours in the northern cold seeking tickets and autographs. Fans are snapping up cases of limited-run Caitlin’s Crunch Time cereal. She’s signed deals with Gatorade, Nike, and State Farm, and she’s the first female athlete to earn a multi-year exclusive deal with the prestigious sports trading card company Panini America. On March 3, in a game against Ohio State, Ms. Clark toppled the NCAA scoring record – men’s and women’s – with a legendary career point total of 3,685.

Why We Wrote This

College women’s basketball is making history, selling out crowds and creating intense fan clubs. Behind it all is Caitlin Clark, a University of Iowa senior who embodies the future of the game.

She is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

“This is Caitlin’s moment,” says Kathy Hagerstrom, former head basketball coach at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and a former Division I college player. 

When the University of Iowa tips off against Penn State in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament March 8, one thing will be clear to the 20,000 fans fortunate enough to hold a ticket: History is taking flight from center court.

The women’s tournament at the Target Center in Minneapolis is sold out for the first time, with more than 109,000 fans expected to attend the five-day event that wraps up Sunday. And it’s largely because Iowa phenom Caitlin Clark sinks 3-pointers in the basket from the midcourt logo like she’s taking out the trash.

Caitlin Clark mania has firmly taken hold across the nation as the senior wraps up her NCAA career, drawing unprecedented attention to the women’s game. “Clarkies” line up for hours in the northern cold seeking tickets and autographs. Her No. 22 Iowa jerseys and shirts have been on backorder for weeks. Fans are snapping up cases of limited-run Caitlin’s Crunch Time cereal. She’s signed deals with Gatorade, Nike, and State Farm, and she’s the first female athlete to earn a multi-year exclusive deal with the prestigious sports trading card company Panini America. She is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

Why We Wrote This

College women’s basketball is making history, selling out crowds and creating intense fan clubs. Behind it all is Caitlin Clark, a University of Iowa senior who embodies the future of the game.

Iowa Hawkeyes fan Suzanne Moore says being in the stands when Ms. Clark made one of her now-famous “logo 3s” against Minnesota on Feb. 28 at the sold-out Williams Arena was unreal.

“Caitlin comes out and she shoots four 3-pointers right away. I’m sitting with my friends who are Minnesota fans and we’re just looking at each other and saying, wow, we can’t believe what we’re seeing, you know? And then the crowd goes nuts,” recalls Ms. Moore, a retired public health nurse from Albert Lea, Minnesota. Ms. Clark sank eight 3-pointers that night. “You just have the feeling that we’re never going to see [a player like] this again,” Ms. Moore adds.

Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY Sports/NPSTrans/TopPic

Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeye fans react before the game as Caitlin Clark (not pictured) attempts to set the NCAA basketball all-time scoring record against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Less than a week later, as 3.4 million television viewers tuned in to watch, Ms. Clark toppled the NCAA scoring record – men’s and women’s – with a legendary career point total of 3,685. 

And yet, this Iowa born-and-raised, 6-foot tall basketball star embodies the duality of what it takes to climb to the height of the game – competitive and combative on the court while also exuding Midwest nice after the final buzzer. She’s been criticized for trash-talking her rivals but has pushed back on what many see as a double standard against competitive women. Off the court, she’s quick to acknowledge her teammates and coaches for what has become an unparalleled collegiate career. She pivots like an effortless spin move between the crush of fan attention, mid-court pressure, and scrutiny over her record feats. All the while, she preserves the warmth of the black-and-gold sisterhood – inspiring female basketball players of all generations.



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