Iowa‘s Caitlin Clark, who became the NCAA women’s college basketball scoring leader Thursday night, has influenced the sport in many ways, Louisville coach Jeff Walz said Friday.
“Congratulations to Caitlin,” Walz said. “Great person and a great player.”
Walz praised Clark’s shot-making ability and emphasized her effort every game.
“She’s an elite scorer, elite shooter, but I also believe she’s an elite passer, and that’s what separates her from several players,” said Walz, who coached Clark briefly in 2019 when she played on Team USA’s U19 FIBA team.
Women’s basketball continues growth
Last season’s NCAA women’s championship game — featuring Clark and LSU‘s Angel Reese — was the most watched in the sport’s history, with an average of 9.9 million viewers and peaking at 12.6 million.
Walz credited the sport’s increased attention to social media — with its quick access to game highlights — and the on-court personalities of stars including Clark, Reese and UConn‘s Paige Bueckers.
They are gearing up to pass the torch to some highly talented freshmen.
USC’s JuJu Watkins, who averages 27.7 points per game, scored 51 points against Stanford. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo leads the ACC in scoring (24.5 ppg) and the nation in steals (5.1). MiLaysia Fulwiley has been a spark off the bench for South Carolina.
“I’ll never say that players are better because I’m telling you I played against Maya Moore and Breanna Stewart; you can’t just list them all. I mean, unbelievable players and Candace Parker, that was pretty damn good,” Walz said.
“You just didn’t have the access to see everything they did instantly. But it is great that we do now because I think a lot more people are starting to realize how good the product is.”
Walz praised U of L fans for consistently supporting the team. That is one of the reasons, Walz said, he has stayed here for 17 years.
“I’ve told people just come out one time. You don’t like it, send me an email and I’ll send you your money back. But once they come, they absolutely fall in love with it,” Walz said. “Our job is to continue to get more to come out.”
Reach sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow him on X at @PrinceJStory.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville WBB: Jeff Walz praises Caitlin Clark and influence on sport
