Caitlin Clark is the best hooper in the world right now
Fellas, please leave your misogynistic qualms at the door before entering the ‘Shed.
No man or woman is playing more electrifying, more entertaining, or better basketball than Iowa’s Caitlin Clark this year, and to deny or ignore the fact is to concede that you don’t know ball. I don’t mean to berate and criticize my beloved readers, but if you consider yourself a hoops fan and you’re only watching the men’s game, it’s time to expand your horizons. In the words of Caitlin Clark herself, “you’re missing out.”
I also don’t mean to sound holier-than-thou, and act like I’ve been watching women’s college basketball my whole life. My knowledge of NCAAW hoops was admittedly low before last year’s tournament, but watching Clark has changed me for the better. If not already, Clark has a strong argument to be considered the greatest women’s college basketball player of all time in a few weeks*, when she’s expected to break the all-time college career scoring record (3,527; Clark is at 3,306). And if you enjoy watching great basketball, why not watch the GOAT?
*(Before I started writing this article, I initially looked at those numbers and thought, “Oh, 200+ points? She still has a ways to go, might be tough to get that number before the end of the season.” And then of course I remembered she averages an absurd 31 points per game and this will probably take ~7 more games.)
Truthfully, Caitlin Clark has been simply incredible for the entirety of her college career that began in 2020, and my own acknowledgement of her greatness is late. Hawkeyes supporters and longtime fans of women’s college ball are well aware of Clark’s talent, but she didn’t start receiving most of the recognition she deserves until her record-breaking 2023 March Madness tournament run set the sports media world on fire.
It was there she captained the Hawkeyes to their best tournament showing in program history and captured the attention of sports fans across America. Clark’s best games were the back-to-back 41-point performances (and wins) against Louisville and an undefeated, defending-champion South Carolina squad. Her 191 total points are the most all-time for a single tournament (in both men’s and women’s college basketball history) and her 60 assists are also the highest mark in women’s tournament history. So yeah, if we’re keeping track, that’s 31.8 points and 10 assists per game. Just preposterous.
An even more ridiculous stat to go along with that: the Hawkeyes scored 515 points in those six tourney games. For conveniency’s sake, I’ll un-generously assume all of Clark’s assists came on two-point shots, meaning she accounted for at least 311 of those 515 Iowa points through scoring or assisting (60% with my lazy, lowball number). That’s genuinely insane.
In this ongoing 2023-24 season, Caitlin Clark has picked up exactly where she left off last March: being the best player on the court, and in the world, by a country mile. Clark leads the nation in scoring at 31.0ppg, is second in assists with 7.7apg, and also averages a modest 7.2 rebounds per game as a point guard. She’s all but guaranteed to haul every individual award imaginable this season, adding to her already hilariously-long list of accolades.
After leading the Hawkeyes to their best season in program history last year, Clark is evidently on a mission to outdo herself once again. Iowa is currently ranked #2 in the nation with an impressive 18-1 record, and Clark’s consistently dominant level of play has helped them crush the majority (14) of their opponents by 20+ points.
And in the rare event the Hawkeyes are stuck in a close game, she’s likely to hit a step-back, buzzer-beating three from the logo to win it.
(Credit to X user @futtywap for the video)
I think I’ve watched that clip 100 times already. Holy hell that might be the purest *swish* sound ever recorded.
My goal for this post is to hopefully earn her a couple more fans and viewers in the coming months. And although she is still demanding the respect and support from the rest of the nation (or any hoops fan that hasn’t heard of her yet, for God knows what reason), Hawkeyes’ Faithful and midwesterners are no stranger to the phenomenon that is Caitlin Clark. Iowa students, including known bucket-getter AJ Moss, can attest: getting a ticket to an Iowa women’s basketball home game is “virtually impossible.” Their offices had to put a hold on this season’s ticket sales shortly after the Hawkeyes’ incredible tournament run in 2023, but you might be able to get a seat for Clark’s Senior Night game on March 3 for “as low as” $350 on the resale market.
We’ve never seen this level of excellence in women’s college basketball, and it’s arguable we’ve never seen anything like it in sports altogether. So I ask you, my beloved readers and sports-enjoyers, what could possibly take TV priority ahead of Iowa’s next game against Ohio State on Sunday morning? (*NFL playoffs won’t kick off for another three hours, so don’t even start with that bullshit.)
To summarize my pitch for Caitlin Clark: If you like basketball, great sports, or you’re simply a fan of cool shit in general, I recommend tapping in to Iowa’s games for the next couple of months… to watch the best basketball player in the world.
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