Sport

“Legend with a capital L”: College basketball fans pay respect to Caitlin Clark amid final game in front of Iowa home crowd

Caitlin Clark is playing her final game against West Virginia in front of her home crowd at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The crowd gave their beloved star a thundering welcome to make the farewell imprinted in her heart.

Barstool Sports re-posted the video of Caitlin Clark’s final introduction on Twitter, by Mr. Soundoff. The video has garnered about 204.7k views since it was posted.

“Caitlin Clark’s final introduction in front of the home Iowa crowd”

Fans were showering love on the beloved legend of Iowa, as one fan commented:

“Legend with a capital L”

Some fans commented on the introduction and fans’ reactions at the Carson-Hawkeye arena:

A few fans pointed out that Iowa is playing March Madness on home ground.

Some fans of WBB took a subtle jab at Caitlin Clark and the ceremony, as they wrote:

Despite the pros and cons, it is going to be one memorable night for Caitlin Clark to bid adieu to her home ground. But the $3.1 million NIL-valued (according to On3) senior guard is not alone, as two of her teammates, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall, accompany the Iowa star as they play their last game in the arena.

College basketball witnessed one of the most successful regular seasons in history. And the six-foot native of Des Moines revolutionized the viewership of women’s basketball.

The regular season viewership on ESPN platforms has averaged 476,000 views, representing a 37% increase. According to Jon Lewis, who studies sports ratings on his website “Sports Media Watch,” Caitlin Clark is the primary driver driving these statistics.

“These are the type of players that, when they’re playing, people tune in and pay attention to in a way that they don’t for other players,” said Jon Lewis via CNN.

According to Sports Media Watch data, Iowa and Clark have appeared in six out of the top 10 most-watched women’s basketball games this season, all of which attracted over one million viewers.

Michael Mulvihill, president of insight and analytics at Fox Sports, said that viewership of women’s college basketball has increased by 60% on the national networks and 48% on games.

“Clarkonomics” has attracted a large audience due to factors such as NIL (name, image, and likeness), increased media coverage, and prime-time game slots, according to CNN.

Also read: $3.1 million NIL-valued Caitlin Clark is just 29 points away from breaking Kelsey Plum’s unique scoring record

Hot news: Caitlin Clark’s glamorous day out from Italy sends positive vibes across the CBB world: “You girls are gorgeous” Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have been spending some quality time in the Italian city of Naples. The Hawkeyes are in town for their foreign tour, which sees the Iowa women’s basketball team play three games against local clubs.

On Sunday, Iowa played its first game against the Naples-based basketball team, The Slammers, winning the game 116-46. The Hawkeyes will now travel to Croatia for their next two games.

While Caitlin Clark and Co. await departure from Italy, the team decided to spend a few more days exploring the beautiful city of Naples.

Before their first game, Clark and her teammates shared pictures on their social media as they visited monuments and took an interest in the Italian tradition.

On Monday, Clark shared a post with teammates Kylie Feuerbach, Sydney Affolter, Jada Gyamfi and Taylor McCabe from Amalfi Coast in southern Italy.

Fans adored the 2023 AP Player of the Year and her Hawkeyes teammates, pouring wholesome comments on her Instagram post. She’s been updating her fans through her Instagram stories since the day the Hawkeyes left for their foreign tour.

One fan wrote:

“Go Hawkeyes, You girls are gorgeous”

While Caitlin Clark and the team enjoy their time in Naples, their game plan and preparation for the next season are going as well. The Hawkeyes had a fantastic first game of their international tour as the players, under the watchful eyes of coach Lisa Bluder, got rid of some on-court rust.

While Caitlin Clark and the team enjoy their time in Naples, their game plan and preparation for the next season are going as well. The Hawkeyes had a fantastic first game of their international tour as the players, under the watchful eyes of coach Lisa Bluder, got rid of some on-court rust.

Caitlin Clark is back like she never left

The first game against The Slammers was a one-sided competition. The Hawkeyes prevailed 116-46, winning by a 70-point margin.

Clark was the top scorer and finished with 17 points, five rebounds and seven assists while shooting 40% from beyond the arc and making 45% of her field goals. Apart from that, six other Hawkeyes finished the game with double digits.

Iowa will now look forward to playing the Croatian club KK Tresnjevka 2009 on Aug. 11.

The Hawkeyes, recovering from a championship game loss, will look to win it all the next season. The Angel Reese-led LSU Tigers got the best of Caitlin Clark and Iowa in April, but the Hawkeyes have a great chance of winning the national title next year.

Caitlin Clark has received a lot of praise from fans, critics, and coaches. Recently, Clark met Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin in Italy, and the two admired each other’s personalities.

Being the projected number-one pick of the 2024 WNBA draft, Clark has maintained the top position against other competitors. As she enters her senior year, it will be interesting to see whether Clark performs like she always has and, better, lead her team to a national title.

Hot news: Caitlin Clark HIT In FACE, Intentional Foul Called | NCAA Tournament, Iowa Hawkeyes vs Holy Cross Caitlin Clark HIT In FACE, Intentional Foul Called | NCAA Tournament, Iowa Hawkeyes vs Holy Cross.

Watch the video below!

Caitlin Clark draws intentional foul after Holy Cross star hits her in face at NCAA Tournament

Referees at Iowa’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against Holy Cross deemed a knock to Caitlin Clark’s face to be worthy of an intentional foul call after a video review

Iowa star Caitlin Clark drew an intentional foul in the second quarter of Saturday’s NCAA Tournament game against Holy Cross, with opposing guard Bronagh Power-Cassidy hitting her in the face as she tried to run into the lane off the ball. Clark stayed on the ground for several moments after the contact.

In NCAA women’s basketball, intentional fouls give a team two free throws and the ball. While ABC’s announcing team suggested Power-Cassidy was simply making a basketball play, the referees disagreed when assessing it through a video review.

Clark was not seriously injured and returned to take the free throws awarded because of the intentional foul. While the top-seeded Hawkeyes came out of the gates slowly in their March Madness opener, they finished the second quarter with a flurry in front of a home crowd.

Entering the game, there was only mutual respect between teams, with Holy Cross head coach Maureen Magarity joking that her daughter loves Clark so much that she provided the Crusaders with a scouting report.

And Power-Cassidy, the Holy Cross player who bowled over Clark, gushed over the Hawkeyes guard in a pregame press conference. “She’s the face of college basketball – men’s and women’s right now,” Power-Cassidy told reporters. “It’s huge, and as a female basketball player, I just have so much respect for her and what’s she’s done for the sport.”

Power-Cassidy was her team’s best player in the early going. The Crusaders trailed by just two after the first quarter thanks to Power-Cassidy’s long-range shooting. She scored 17 first-half points with four made 3-pointers.

However, Iowa leaned on its NCAA Tournament experience to build an 18-point lead entering the intermission. The Hawkeyes are battled-tested, having made the national championship game last season and thriving through a grueling Big Ten schedule this year. They recently won the Big Ten Tournament title.

Clark, of course, is the engine that led Iowa to a No. 1 seed. She’s now the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. But she’s also an adept passer and rebounder, influencing the game even when her shot doesn’t fall.

That said, Clark has capable teammates who have provided essential offensive balance. Forward Hannah Stuelke scored 47 points in a game earlier this season, and Kate Martin scored 12.9 points per game on 38.6 percent 3-point shooting.

With Clark departing for the WNBA after the NCAA Tournament, Stuelke figures to be the go-to player of the future for Iowa.

But she’s also eager to show that she’s a sufficient main complement to Clark right now as Iowa moves beyond Holy Cross and into more difficult stages of March Madness. As long as Stuelke continues what she’s done for much of the season, Clark will be pleased with her work.

News

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Caitlin Clark March Madness: What is her highest-scoring March Madness game?

The Iowa Hawkeyes star owns the record for most points scored in a Women’s March Madness Tournament. Caitlin Clark and Iowa will play in the Sweet 16…

‘Caitlin Clark is a pioneer.’ Nancy Lieberman, one of basketball’s all-time greats, on Iowa’s senior star

One of the sport’s original pioneers was on hand for her first Clark game at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. IOWA CITY, Iowa — At the end of her 64th…

‘I believe in the power of thought’: Bluder, Hawkeyes not focused on final game

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