caitlin clark's basketball revolution is everything we need right now

By: Justin Goldberg and Mr. Illuzzi

Serena Williams. Simone Biles. Ronda Rousey. Alex Morgan. All world-class athletes who have recently shaped, even transformed, their respective sports. 

Go ahead and add Caitlin Clark to the list. 

Over the past two seasons, Clark, and Iowa women’s basketball, has been at the center of the basketball world, and with good reason: the back-to-back recipient of the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Award has revolutionized the game.

​It is possible that Clark simply came along at the right moment. The women’s game, though well established, has traditionally lagged behind the men’s in terms of revenue and attendance, and, by extension, popularity. But Clark’s multiple record setting performances, highlighted by her becoming the all-time NCAA points leader regardless of gender, has generated so much positive attention that it has undoubtedly created a long-awaited paradigm shift in the women’s game. 

The current narrative is vital for the way women are perceived in the sports community, and certainly for their status at large. Clark’s story is a reminder that women, and the women’s game, deserve to be valued and respected. 

​When Clark is on the floor, attendance, viewership, and ticket prices have skyrocketed, evident in several Big 10 conference games, where attendance jumped considerably, regardless of whether Iowa was playing at home or on the road.

Northwestern sold out its first home game when it played Iowa; Ohio State averaged just over 5,000 fans per game and nearly 20,000 came to watch their home game against Iowa; Purdue averaged just under 5,000 fans per game and it nearly exceeded 15,000 against Iowa. Schools who host the Hawkeyes have seen a 150 percent increase in attendance. The average ticket price has gone up 224 percent since Clark’s Iowa debut season in 2020. 

Talk about respect. 

And once Clark’s and Iowa’s run in this year’s NCAA tournament comes to end, regardless of the result, all eyes will turn to whether Clark can transcend the next level of the women’s game in the WNBA.  

Early indications suggest this likelihood. Since declaring for the WNBA draft on Feb. 29, the Indiana Fever, Clark’s expected draft destination, has seen average ticket sales increase from $60 to $140, and tickets for her potential first home game are already going for $400. All of this before she has even been drafted. 

The Fever is a team in need of the “Clark Effect” boost. In 2023, the team averaged just over 4,000 fans a game, one of the league’s lowest. For someone like Clark who is no stranger to playing in front of 20,000, the revolution might, and hopefully will, take the WNBA by storm. 

Either way, we should all enjoy Clark’s greatness while it lasts. There may not be another player with the impact and skillset that Clark possesses. While it is arguable whether she is the greatest women’s basketball player, it is nearly impossible to argue her role as the game’s most impactful.