Tom Brady, widely regarded as the NFL’s Greatest of All Time, has made multiple appearances at women’s basketball games before and after his retirement. He also purchased an ownership stake in WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces in March last year. So, it was only expected when the seven-time Super Bowl champ went on to congratulate Iowa’s Caitlin Clark after she scripted history.
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Iowa Hawkeyes point guard Caitlin Clark recently surpassed Kelsey Plum to become the NCAA women’s career scoring leader after overcoming the Michigan Wolverines with a final score of 106-89. In a heartwarming gesture, Tom Brady took to social media to express his pride a-nd congratulate the young phenom for adding another feather to her cap. The former NFL star offered his congratulations, saying,
“I just wanted to say congratulations on the record. Like the rest of the country, I’ve been following along while you chased down my girl, Kelsey. But I know she’s proud of you too,” followed by, “We love witnessing greatness here. Keep your head down. Go finish the job, and I’ll be watching. Good luck!”
The former Patriots quarterback has been supportive of women’s sports from a young age thanks to her elder sisters, who were his inspiration. The competitiveness was imbibed in him since childhood, as his parents — Galynn Patricia Brady and Tom Brady Sr. were very supportive of their children’s sports careers.
Tom Brady has More Than Just Appreciation for the WNBA
The Las Vegas Aces greeted their new stakeholder in Oct. 2023, after his request earlier in the year was approved by the WNBA owners. Tom Brady set on his entrepreneurial journey, retiring from football and joining Mark Davis, who remains to be the Aces’ majority owner.
Kelsey Plum is also a part of the Las Vegas Aces and held the highest scoring record that Caitlin recently broke. Following Caitlin’s milestone, Kelsey was more than the up-and-rising Iowa Hawkeyes star, announcing the same via her social media post.
“Congratulations on the record, and really your entire season! I appreciate what you do for the game, much respect and love! See you at the next level, hopefully sooner than later,” which Kelsey corrected later in another post, noting, “My bad next game.”
In an interview, Clark reacted to the significant moment, saying that she was ‘lucky’. She also expressed her gratefulness for being a part of the city that supports women’s sports.
“Just grateful. Thankful to be in a city that supports women’s basketball so much. Be surrounded by my best friends and people who want to see me be great and push me to be great every single day,” Clark said.
While Caitlin Clark holds the title of the leading scorer in NCAA women’s history, it’s essential to note that she isn’t the top scorer in women’s college basketball history overall. There are several women who have scored more career points outside of the NCAA, with the likes of — Pearl Moore, Miriam Walker-Samuels, Deb Remmerde, and Lynnette Woodard, as per NBC Sports. Many of these achievements occurred before women’s college basketball fell under NCAA governance.
However, Caitlin Clark’s impact transcends the basketball court. Hailing from Des Moines, Iowa, she is playing a significant role in expanding the reach of women’s basketball. Everywhere Clark and the Hawkeyes go, they draw sold-out crowds, even when playing away games. Moreover, receiving shutouts from legends like Tom Brady, Eli Manning, Peyton Manning, and many more, is nothing short of an achievement. Notably, Caitlin Clark is a big-time football fan, particularly the Kansas City Chiefs, who clinched their second consecutive Super Bowl this season.
