On May 14, 2024, Caitlin Clark made her highly anticipated WNBA debut in front of a roaring crowd. However, the most popular rookie in the league began her journey in 2020, when she joined the University of Iowa. She worked on elevating herself as an athlete, along with women’s basketball as a whole. While her on-court conquests are known to everyone, how did she do during the four years of college?
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By the end of her high school career, Clark was a five-star recruit with ESPN ranking her as the fourth-best player in her class. While her parents wanted her to go to Notre Dame, after finishing high school, Clark ended up committing to Iowa. This turned out to be the best decision for her and the college because she brought laurels to them.
She spent four years in Iowa and became the best female hooper in the country from her generation. When Clark declared for the WNBA Draft, it was an emotional moment for her college as they felt grateful to have witnessed an NCAA legend.
With the @NCAA basketball tournament beginning this week, we wanted to take a moment to recognize these Academic All-American women whose teams are returning for the 2024 NCAA tournament! pic.twitter.com/EMMRYLOlkR
— Academic All-America®, selected by CSC (@AcadAllAmerica) March 21, 2024
Post-college, Clark was the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever. Apart from dominating the sport in her four years in college, she majored in marketing and minored in communication studies. She graduated from the college on May 14, with a 3.64 GPA and was also included in the Academic All-America Team.
Caitlin Clark’s four years at Iowa
In her debut game for Iowa on November 25, 2020, Clark dropped 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists. She closed her freshman season, averaging 26.6 points, 7.1 assists, and 5.9 rebounds, per game while leading the NCAA Division I in scoring. She was also ranked the second highest in assists and three-pointers.
Clark improved her numbers and dominance in the sophomore season by averaging 27 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. She also became the first female to lead Division I in points and assists.
Clark’s junior year was the turning point of her career. In 2022-23, she averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.1 rebounds, per game. Even though she lost the top spot in scoring, Clark maintained her position in assist and was ranked second in scoring. More importantly, she found a credible opponent in Angel Reese. They two faced off during March Madness and their rivalry was one of the biggest points of discussion for the national media.
Unfortunately, Clark missed out on the opportunity to become the NCAA Champion, but in her senior year, she became the best basketball player in the country. She went on an unprecedented record-breaking spree finishing her senior year averaging 31.6 points, 8.9 assists, and 7.4 rebounds, per game.
Before the official draft night, Iowa announced that they would retire Clark’s #22 jersey, making her only the third player in the program’s history to receive that honor.
