Caitlin Clark says the impact she has had on women’s sport has been “the coolest part” of her journey as her record-breaking collegiate basketball career came to a close.
American Clark, 22, has scored over 3,900 points, more than any male or female college athlete in history.
Her performances for the Iowa Hawkeyes this season have also led to record-breaking viewing figures in America.
“Everybody sees the viewership numbers,” said point guard Clark.
“When you’re given the opportunity, women’s sport thrives and that’s been the coolest part for me on this journey.
“We started the season playing in front of 55,000 people, now we’re ending it in front of 15 million people on TV. It just continues to get better and better and that’s never going to stop.
“When you continue to give them the platform, things like this are just going to continue to happen.”
Clark scored 30 points for the Hawkeyes as they suffered a 87-75 defeat by South Carolina in Sunday’s final.
Her individual achievements, including beating Pete Maravich’s 54-year-old college basketball scoring record and shooting the most three-pointers in a single season, have led to an increase in women’s basketball fans, dubbed the ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’.
She is also predicted to be the number-one pick in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever later this month, and could join the US squad for the Paris Olympics.
“No matter what sport it is, believe in them the same, invest in them the same, and things are going to thrive,” said Clark.
“You see it with other sports. Continue to invest time, money and resources for those people and give them the opportunities. I think that’s what’s going to drive women’s sports in future.
“People will remember the moments that they shared at one of our games or watching on TV, and how excited their daughter or son got about watching women’s basketball.
“That’s pretty cool, those are things that mean the most to me.”
