Caitlin Clark Doesn’t Need Rings to be a GOAT
Caitlin Clark announced that she will be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft. Some were not happy with her decision and spread false narratives about her taking a pay cut to become a professional. But that is not the case. It makes perfect sense for her to leave. What else was there for her to do in college?
Caitlin Clark is soon to be the All-Time leading scorer in college basketball, men or women. There is nothing left for her to accomplish in women’s college basketball. Iowa doesn’t really have the players around her to win it all. If they could get those players, they would have got them this year. So why would next year be any different?
As a competitor, Clark needs to move to the next challenge. The WNBA will be extremely challenging for her. Human nature suggests that other players will be jealous of her. They will be trying to prove a point every time they play her. They will try to embarrass her. If she holds up, and is able to do anything close what she did in Iowa, she can help the WNBA achieve some mainstream success. She is a kind of draw never seen before in women’s basketball.
Clark has already been credited with being a catalyst for ESPN’s $920 million dollar deal for 40 NCAA Championships. The deal was highlighted by the Women’s NCAA basketball Championships. It was reported that Women’s Basketball Championship was 57% of the deal.
If the next WNBA television deal increases exponentially, then how could anyone deny her impact? This era has two of possibly the greatest players of All-Time, in A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart, but they haven’t been able to elevate the game’s status to a significant degree. The momentum that Caitlin Clark has is reminiscent of Larry Bird and Magic Johnson entering the NBA. If the WNBA is able to leverage her popularity into bringing more notoriety and money into the league, then that’s more important than just wins and losses.
