When Caitlin Clark opened up about the unreal hype ahead of her WNBA debut: "People love the long shots, people love the passing, people love the fire"
Caitlin Clark has already gained cult status despite it being only her sophomore season in the WNBA. She is praised as a game-changer in women's basketball due to her long-range shooting, playmaking, competitive fire, and swagger-like demeanor.
A college basketball phenom, she drew attention from her days at the University of Iowa, where she represented the Hawkeyes. Clark meant business from the beginning, setting a new benchmark in the points and assists columns. She achieved several milestones along the way.
Clark won the Naismith College Player of the Year on back-to-back occasions (2023 and 2024). Wrapping up her collegiate career, she emerged as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer. During this time, the 23-year-old also became a household name, with all her games sold out.
Gearing up for her much-anticipated WNBA debut, she sat down with Robin Roberts for an interview, addressing all the surrounding noise and explaining what made her game so special.
'I think it's just the style of basketball that I play, but also people love the fire and emotion that I have, and like the smile I always have on my face. To be honest, I don't get nervous for games because I know this is just fun for me. People love the long shots, People love the passing, People love the fire,' said Clark, who recently had her college jersey No. 22 retired.
Caitlin Clark Effect
A term used to signal the increased popularity of women's basketball, owing to Clark. This was evident from her record attendance and viewership in her last two seasons at Iowa. One example is the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Championship game, which drew 18.9M views.
Her presence has certainly popularized the WNBA to a significant degree, reigniting the Hoosier Hysteria phenomenon. In 2023, Iowa participated in a preseason exhibition game against DePaul and Kinnick Stadium, which set an attendance record of 55,646.
According to a CBJ report, Clark had a $82.5M impact on the Iowa economy in consumer spending and contributed an estimated $36.5M to the Indianapolis economy. Thanks to her, Fever has also emerged as the second most valuable franchise behind the New York Liberty.
WNBA career so far
The Indiana Fever selected Clark as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Following a historic run at Iowa, there were a lot of expectations for her. Not disappointing, she was named ROTY. Adding to the accolades were the All-Rookie First Team and All-Star Game selections.
Clark led the Fever to its best record (20-20) and first playoff appearance since 2016. Facing a first-round exit, they were swept at the hands of the Connecticut Suns. She was awarded the 2024 ESPY for best WNBA player after her successful debut.
Entering her sophomore season, Clark has been dealing with several injuries. Nevertheless, she has managed to maintain her upward trajectory. In the 13 games that she played, she has averaged 16.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.8 assists, and 1.6 steals.
Clark's selection was a no-brainer with Indiana hosting the All-Star Weekend in 2025. She had also announced her participation in the 3-point contest. Sadly, she was left with no choice but to withdraw from the event due to her injury and the rehab protocols. Hopefully, she will return soon, especially with numerous fans crowding arenas to watch her play.This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
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