Caitlin Clark’s success and influence on women’s college basketball, as well as the unique factors that helped her stand out and become a star. The author criticizes the way some minimize Caitlyn Clark’s success, claiming that she was only successful because she was white and her fans were all white. This view overlooks other important factors that contributed to Caitlyn Clark’s success, especially her personal journey and the decisions she made in her career.
Caitlin Clark’s success and influence have been minimized and analyzed in a simplistic, unsophisticated way. Some argue that she was only able to stand out because she was white and had a large white audience, while black women’s basketball players “built” the foundation for women’s basketball, such as the WNBA or outstanding players like A’ja Wilson or Asia Wilson.
However, the author asserts that this is a one-sided view and lacks understanding of the various factors that went into Caitlin Clark’s journey to success.
Caitlin Clark with other women’s basketball stars, such as JuJu Watkins, a promising young basketball talent at the University of Southern California (USC). Watkins is considered an excellent athlete, who could surpass or match Caitlin Clark in terms of technique, but the author points out the differences in how Clark and Watkins built their careers.
Caitlin Clark was one of the biggest names in her recruiting class, and despite being wanted by many big schools, she chose to stay at Iowa, where she developed a strong fan base in the local community.
One of the key factors in Caitlin Clark’s journey was her decision to stay at Iowa instead of going to big basketball schools like UConn, Tennessee, or South Carolina. Iowa, a basketball school that is not as prominent as these big names, has helped Clark build a loyal fan base in her hometown. The author suggests that this is similar to the way musical artists build their careers by conquering the local market before going global.
If Caitlin Clark had gone to a famous school like UConn or South Carolina, she might have been “overshadowed” by famous coaches like Geno Auriemma or Dawn Staley, and could not have built the unique star image that she has today.
Caitlin Clark, along with men’s basketball legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, who all played at their hometown universities and built their careers from a strong local foundation, is the path to success for basketball superstars, where community connections are a key factor in building their reputation and career.
**JuJu Watkins and Her Challenges in Los Angeles**
Although JuJu Watkins is a great talent, she has had difficulty building a fan base like Caitlin Clark. The main reason is that she plays in Los Angeles, where there is too much competition from professional sports and other entertainment activities, which distracts women’s basketball fans. The author argues that if Watkins had not been able to build a fan base in Los Angeles, she would not have been able to become a big star like Caitlyn Clark did at Iowa.
Angel Reese, one of the stars of the LSU team, is also an example of a player who did not follow the same path as Caitlin Clark. Although Reese’s talent is undeniable, the author argues that her decision to transfer to LSU instead of staying at Maryland (where she could have built her career on a lesser-known team) was a decision that did not help her build a strong fan base like Caitlyn Clark did. Joining a great team with renowned coach Kim Mulkey at LSU, while helping Reese win a national championship, did not set her up for a career as a “superstar” in women’s basketball the way Caitlin Clark did.
The road to becoming a women’s basketball superstar is about more than just talent. Building a solid fan base in the local community and choosing the right college are important factors in achieving long-term success and popularity. Caitlin Clark made strategic decisions to build her career, and that is what set her apart from other players of her generation.
