Clark’s impact goes beyond numbers
Iowa star makes impression on Houston teams
Caitlin Clark has set the standard for scoring in women’s college basketball.
For young girls around the country, that aspiration to be like her has never been more palpable.
It’s appropriate considering the Iowa superstar broke the NCAA’s all-time scoring record last Thursday, doing so while dropping a career-high 49 points against Michigan. She has 3,500-plus career points and counting.
But Clark’s impact on the game goes far beyond the eye-opening box scores and electric 3-point shooting. She’s leaving a mark on the sport, the likes of which might not be matched for quite some time.
For high school coaches around the country, Clark can be used as an example of what is possible.
Cypress Springs coach Taneisha Rogers, whose team has state championship ambitions this season, says there are several aspects of Clark’s game that her players can draw inspiration from.
“She’s a very special player,” Rogers said. “She’s unique because she’s a team-minded player. She knows how to rally her teammates. She knows how to get them involved, and she knows how to create her own shot as well. But nothing can substitute for the hard work. She works for what she gets, and that’s every day. So, same with our girls. We work for what we want, and they get in the gym early in the morning and stay late at night, and it’s showing right now.”
Cypress Springs junior wing Ayla McDowell, one of the top-ranked players for the 2025 class, said Clark is able to perform at a high level in clutch situations because of how she prepares.
“I know she’s in the gym a lot,” said McDowell, who is averaging 19.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game. “It’s confidence that she pulls up from the logo and knows it’s going to go in. I could definitely take away that confidence.”
Barbers Hill coach Bryan Harris has seen no shortage of great high school and women’s college basketball players.
Harris coached Brianna Turner, a current member of the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, while at Manvel. The Mavericks won the Class 5A state championship in 2014 with Turner, who played collegiately at Notre Dame, and two other Division I signees — Rangie Bessard and Jordan Hosey — leading the way.
Harris, who was a walkon for the Tennessee men’s basketball team, also served as a practice player for legendary Lady Vols women’s coach Pat Summit and worked all of her camps during his time with the program.
Despite digesting years of basketball knowledge, Harris is baffled about to how to stop Clark.
“From a coaching perspective, she’s at the top of everybody’s scouting report, and yet they can’t stop her,” said Harris, whose team played in the regional quarterfinals Tuesday night. “A 27-foot shot is well within her range. A lot of coaches would say don’t take that shot. That’s a pretty high percentage shot for her.”
Once Clark crosses midcourt, she’s a scoring threat, making it all but impossible to defend her.
“You just pray, I think,” Harris said. “She can score from anywhere on the floor. Do you guard her with someone small? Do you guard her with someone big? It’s one of those mysteries. There are plenty of coaches a lot smarter than me that can’t figure it out.”
Harris has seen Turner play alongside Phoenix Mercury teammates Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner, so he’s equipped with reliable data to make a comparison.
“I’ve seen some highquality players who are very, very tough to stop, and (Clark) is just amazing,” Harris said. “You try to double-team her and make her get rid of the ball, or you can try to face-guard her, but she’s just too good. She’s going to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA (draft), and she’ll get a bunch of endorsement deals. She’s a century-type player. There’s no other way to say it.”
Randle coach Christy Westbrooks just shakes her head and smiles when conversing about Clark.
“That kid right there — she’s not human, right?” said Westbrooks, whose team clinched a regional tournament appearance Monday. “She’s talented, no doubt, but what she’s done is a testament to her work ethic. It’s really good for kids, spectators, everyone to see what hard work will get you. The girl is undeniable. I also think it’s great for the women’s game. The game has had great players like Diana Taurasi, Ticha Penicheiro, Chamique Holdsclaw, Maya Moore and others that are exciting. I don’t know why people are just now watching, but I’m glad they’re rallying around Caitlin.”
The obvious answer might be that Clark is always on the brink of performing the unexpected.
“It’s hard to score a lot of points like she does, but the girl shoots from the bus, right?” Westbrooks said. “She can knock it down from anywhere. The locker room, the bus, anywhere.”
Westbrooks says professional, college and high school basketball organizations can’t let what Clark is achieving be a missed opportunity.
“Now that people are paying attention, it’s up to the younger generation to continue to pave the way,” Westbrooks said. “I love her breaking a record like that. Those are milestones that are very special.”
Westbrooks doesn’t know if a defense exists to stop Clark.
“She’s one of those kids that if you’re coaching against her, you tell your kids during the timeout, ‘Hey there’s nothing you can do about that.’ She’s shooting routinely from the logo. It’s hard to stop a kid that is just that accurate. She’s very prepared, and she does it so effortlessly. If they do get near her, she passes to someone else who can score. It’s exciting to see 18,000 people go nuts over what she does. To her, everything she shoots is just a practice shot.”