Iowa basketball has found a legend in Caitlin Clark. Coach Lisa Bluder and the rest of the organization may have fall short of an NCAA Tournament national title but they clearly took care of the star out of Des Moines. There are a lot of factors that led to her stardom but Los Angeles Lakers great LeBron James posits that something endemic in women's basketball played a larger part than others.
Unlike in the NBA, the age requirement for a WNBA draftee is 22 years old. This means that stars need to spend a lot of time in college basketball first before they are eligible to move up to the big leagues. LeBron James noted this. He then pointed out how crucial this part of women's college basketball was to Caitlin Clark's rise, via the Mind The Game podcast with JJ Redick.
“The number one thing is in women's sports compared to the men, we have the ability to go to the NBA right after our freshman year. In the women's game, you have the ability to build your legacy and build your rapport, and brand with that fan base, with that community,” the Lakers star said about the Iowa legend.
LeBron James then furthered his point by comparing the presumptive first-overall pick to all the legends that came before her.
“Caitlin Clark. I mean back in the day when it was like Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Chamique Holdsclaw, you know, Candace Parker. You know you're watching these girls, they're doing it. Kelsey Plum at Washington, you're watching these girls year after year after year continue to grow,” he proclaimed.
Iowa's all-time great
Iowa has gotten so much because of Clark. They sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena not just in Big Ten Conference games but also throughout the first rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Their fanbase has also grown so much outside of the college town. Moreover, Coach Lisa Bluder and the rest of the Hawkeyes have gotten better NIL opportunities.
To say that Clark is an astounding phenomenon that happens once in a generation is an understatement. She was able to help a lot of individuals inside and outside the four corners of a court. The bottom line for the Lakers legend? All of this would not have happened if one-and-done was allowed in the realm of women's college basketball.
“You get a woman to stay on campus, 3-4 years. I think that has a lot to do with the popularity of their sport,” he concluded.
Clark is more than just the greatest brand to come out of the Iowa women's basketball program. Her insane shot from deep and acumen inside the court has gotten her a lot more love. She just notched her second Wooden Award and snagged the all-time scoring title from Lynette Woodard.
In her time with Iowa, she did everything and then some. Her college basketball career ended with a 28.4 points per game average while knocking down 46.2% of her shots from all three levels of scoring. Clark also dished out 8.9 assists and grabbed 7.4 rebounds on a nightly basis.
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