Caitlin Clark recently etched her name into the history books by becoming the all-time leading scorer in DI women’s college basketball. The 22-year-old reached 3569 career points while scoring 49 against the Michigan Wolverines to surpass Kelsey Plum’s previously held record of 3527. Alongside this remarkable feat, the point guard has outdone her predecessors in various aspects to change women’s basketball forever.
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Despite being a leading figure in the circuit since her freshman year, the Iowa Hawkeyes star required patience to make the headlines. During last year’s final run, Clark emerged as a prominent persona for breaking numerous records along with way. Eventually, the point guard had to face a setback as the team lost to Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers in the national championship match.
Yet, the Iowa-born’s popularity has only gone upward in trajectory since then, resulting in lucrative deals. One such instance occurred in the January Premier Auction as her autographed ‘Bowman U’ rookie auto card was sold for $78,000. It marked the second-highest female athlete sports card sale of all time trailing behind only Serena Williams.
Expectedly, the surge in her status has increased her valuation and brand collaborations by several folds. Late in 2022, Nike signed the youngster before Gatorade offered her a multi-year deal towards the end of last year. Alongside these, her contract deals with H&R Block, Topps, Buick, and Hy-Vee have spurred her NIL valuation to an alleged $818,000.
On top of it, her development has aided in the differentiation of the college’s program as they generated over $3.8 million in revenue in 2023. The unthinkable achievement was the by-product sold-out home arena and a 150% hike in attendance in away games. Even during Super Bowl Sunday, the viewership remained intact as 1.8 million fans watched their game. All four broadcast networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox) have aimed to capitalize on this opportunity by agreeing to telecast their games.
Therefore, her four years of college basketball have resulted in a boom in the business for all the parties involved. Her on-court endeavors have entirely transformed the off-court revenue generation model of the circuit. Going forward, a similar pathway could aid in the altercation of pay disparity between the NBA and the WNBA. Yet, the wave of metamorphosis may last a bit longer in the NCAA. After all, the 6ft guard remains eligible to compete for one more year.
Can Caitlin Clark become the disruptive force?
The wage gap has become a recurring issue in basketball as various views continue to add layers to the discussion. Michael Porter Jr. once revealed his stance on The Pivot Podcast, mentioning, “The best ping pong player is just as talented as the best NBA player. That doesn’t mean that they’re going to get paid the same because it’s what the people wanna watch”.
Despite the seemingly harsh comments receiving major backlash, Gilbert Arenas extended the viewpoint while voicing similar concerns. “The problem is that the WNBA girls that are in there now are too selfish to sacrifice today for the future. From Day 1, they handicap the American girls,” the 3x All-Star declared on Gil’s Arena. Following this, the 42-year-old shed light on how staying in college basketball for a long duration often hampered their creativity.
Thus, the challenge remains an uphill one for Clark as her gameplay could be subjected to heavy scrutiny in the future. Shouldering the responsibility of the college basketball circuit, the NCAA star has revolutionized the model. Therefore, several await for her to repeat the feat soon after entering the WNBA.
