Caitlin Clark is on another plane of existence. Watching her feels like witnessing history. Somehow both these statements feel like hyperbole and understatement at the same time.
Caitlin Clark is the biggest superstar of March, and it’s not even close
If you’re not watching Caitlin Clark, you’re missing out.
Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Sunday night was a virtuoso performance from the Iowa superstar. The kind of game that halts Twitter in its tracks, prompting everyone to change the channel from whatever mundane crap they were watching, just for a chance to say “I saw that game.” Here were the No. 2 Hawkeyes, playing a very good Louisville team in the Elite Eight of the 2023 women’s NCAA tournament. Clark was unstoppable. In 39 minutes on the court she dominated every facet of the game, finishing with 41 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists en route to a 97-83 win.
Not only did the victory stamp Iowa’s ticket to the Final Four, but solidified Clark as the biggest superstar in college basketball — in either the men’s or women’s game.
This is nothing surprising for those who’ve followed Clark all season. Hell, really since she joined Iowa in 2020-21. The West Des Moines native has been the most complete basketball player we’ve seen in years, and her chameleon-like ability to morph from scorer to distributor is second-to-none. In addition, she’s already developing a Michael Jordan-esque chip on her shoulder towards critics who claim she isn’t a great defensive player, lighting a fire that could manifest itself in terrifying ways for her opponents moving forward.
It’s not just the raw stats, the shooting ability, and Clark’s skills as a leader — but the effortless swagger that she shows on the court. It’s a trait the great ones have, and what helps catapult Clark from amazing player, to can’t-miss talent.
Very special players get to call their own shots with confidence, and Clark is doing just that, both on and off the court. She is an absolute lock to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft when she declares, but all signs point to her pushing that move into the future. There’s no rush. This isn’t a player desperate to capitalize on her draft stock, striking while the iron is hot — but rather one who knows this heater isn’t cooling down, so the pros can wait until she’s ready to grace them with her presence. Until then Clark is going to dominate everyone in her path, rake in the NIL money along the way, and hopefully bring Iowa a National Championship.
That’s not to say they’re the most complete team left in the Final Four. Iowa is a No. 2 seed for a reason, and depending on what happens Monday night, Clark could be facing down Dawn Staley’s juggernaut South Carolina team trying to build a Gamecock dynasty. While Iowa’s five best might not match up favorably to South Carolina’s five best — nobody else on the court will compare to Clark’s pure ability to take over a game by herself.
When that Final Four matchup is set, whether it’s South Carolina or Maryland set to meet the Hawkeyes, everyone should be tuning in to watch Clark. It’s like Steph Curry in a must-win game or LeBron putting an entire team on his back — but fused together in one player. Miss watching Caitlin Clark at your peril as a sports fan, because everyone owes it to themselves to witness greatness.
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