The Riverside Press-Enterprise
Iowa’s Clark to enjoy rest of ride before WNBA draft
Caitlin Clark knew with Iowa’s final regularseason home game looming, it was time to make her decision about whether to enter the WNBA draft or stay in college for a fifth season.
That’s why Clark announced on Thursday that she would go to the WNBA at the end of the season, following four historic seasons with the Hawkeyes. The announcement came three days before the sixth-ranked Hawkeyes host No. 2 Ohio State today.
“I think just going into Senior Night, having that decision clear not only for myself, but our fans, my teammates. I think that was super important,” Clark said Friday. “And honestly, just getting the weight of the world off my shoulders and being able to enjoy this last month with my
teammates, I think is the biggest thing.”
Clark is nearing the end of a record-setting career with the Hawkeyes. She passed Kelsey Plum as the NCAA career scoring leader on Feb. 15, then passed Lynette
Woodard as the career scoring leader in major college women’s basketball in Wednesday’s game against Minnesota. Clark, who has 3,650 career points, is closing in on Pete Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record of 3,667 points.
Clark had an additional year of eligibility that the NCAA granted to all players who played during the COVID-19 pandemic in the 2020-21 season.
“I would say, like, I’ve gone honestly back and forth a little bit, especially early in the year,” Clark said. “I think as the season played out, it became more clear to me. I know I said at the beginning of the year I definitely just kind of feel in my gut and know in my gut. And I think that’s exactly what happened.”
Clark said she has known “for a little while” what she planned to do, adding that the coaching staff has been supportive as she made her decision.
“I mean, you’re obviously disappointed because you want her to come back. Right?” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said. “I mean, she’s a tremendous player, and we would have loved to have had her come back. But also, our job is to help them for four years and to support them as best as we can and try to prepare them for the next chapter in their lives. Her four years are up, even though she could come back for another year. She’s ready for a new challenge.”
The Indiana Fever have the No. 1 pick in the April 15 WNBA draft. Clark said she had not spoken with anyone from the Fever since she made her announcement but soon afterward, the Fever’s ticket offices got noticeably busier.
“We’ve seen a lot of enthusiasm online and on social media,” Pacers Sports and Entertainment said in a statement to The Associated Press. “The organization has also seen the enthusiasm lead to a spike in ticket inquiries.”
Getting Iowa star Clark with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft would be a boost to the franchise, which was second-to-last in attendance last season, averaging 4,067 fans at home games.
“It’s Clarkonomics,” basketball analyst Deb Antonelli said. “Her ability to move the meter and the excitement around her is incredible. The socially acceptable thing to do is to watch Caitlin Clark play basketball.”
Today’s game at Iowa’s Carverhawkeye Arena to see the reigning national player of the year is a sellout. A pair of courtside tickets were listed at $3,800 on Stubhub on Friday morning.
“We’ve said this before, but when Caitlin’s light shines, it shines on all of us,” Iowa teammate Kate Martin said. “We want the best for Caitlin, we’ve always had that in mind.”