Caitlin Clark: one of the most beloved college basketball players to ever compete at the Division I level. How can her performance be topped?
Some of Clark’s accomplishments, according to CaitlinClark22.com, are:
- NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer (3,951)
- NCAA Division I most career 3-pointers (548)
- Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year (2024)
- No. 22 retired by Iowa Hawkeyes
- Most 30-point games by any man or woman in Division I basketball in the past 25 seasons
- First player in NCAA tournament history with three career 40-point games
Reflected by these accolades and awards, Clark brought collegiate women’s basketball on a pedestal for the world to see — but she hasn’t done this alone.
Stars like JuJu Watkins, Paige Bueckers, and Hannah Hidalgo, have contributed in their own ways.
Even starting from high school careers, Clark wasn’t even the most famous player in her class coming out of high school. That title belongs to Bueckers, the first freshman to win AP Player of the Year in 2021 at UConn.
“I feel like Paige Bueckers doesn’t fill the spot like Caitlin Clark left,” Nonnewaug freshman Eliza Butkus said, “but instead she shines in a new way.”
Both Clark and Bueckers have grown women’s basketball, but in different ways.
“Caitlin Clark has put women’s basketball on the map,” said Nonnewaug freshman Gemma Hedrei. “Paige Bueckers has helped fans truly understand and appreciate the game.”
But this game has always had stars: Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Maya Moore, Sabrina Ionescu, and Ruth Riley were all well known college basketball players. What women’s basketball needed was a foundation to support them.
According to ESPN Press Room, viewership of collegiate women’s basketball has increased 214% from 2023-25. Most recently, the viewership of the NCAA March Madness final when UConn beat South Carolina peaked at 9.9 million viewers, a 76% increase from the last time the teams played for the title in 2022.
Another big help to the basketball community are NIL deals, which are compensation for a college athlete’s name, image, and likeness. According to Sports Illustrated, NIL deals have helped Watkins, a star at Southern California, make upwards of $1 million in the 2024-25 season.
Women’s basketball is finally getting the spotlight it deserves. Brands are investing, fans are tuning in, and arenas are filling up, not just for rivalry games or Final Fours, but for regular season matchups as well.
“I watch way more women’s college basketball now than I did even a few years ago,” said Nonnewaug sophomore Shelby Sweeney. “There’s so much talent, and the games are actually exciting to watch nowadays.”
This is the opinion of Elliana Obolewicz, a sophomore reporter for the Chief Advocate and a basketball player at Nonnewaug.
