Caitlin Clark’s remarkable climb to prominence has enthralled even people who usually avoid sports like the plague. The 22-year-old University of Iowa point guard became a household celebrity in the run-up to the 2023 Women’s NCAA National Championship Game against the LSU Tigers, which saw quadruple the viewership of the previous year’s final. Despite the Iowa Hawkeyes’ 102-82 loss, Clark’s rise to prominence in women’s basketball began here.
Clark broke records left and right during the 2023-24 season, becoming the women’s NCAA Division I scoring leader, setting a major college scoring record, and claiming the record for the most career points of any Division I basketball player among male and female players — all in just 17 days. This year’s NCAA Women’s Basketball National Championship was the most watched women’s basketball game in history, as well as the most watched basketball game at any level in 2019.
While these beneficial changes should be celebrated throughout the industry, some of the most well-known female basketball players have had quite the opposite reaction. In a YouTube video, WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes criticized Clark’s achievements, arguing that the only reason Clark is breaking these records is the extra year of eligibility provided to all collegiate athletes because to the COVID-19 epidemic. Swoopes portrayed Clark as a bully who intimidates much younger females in the league.
Similarly, once Clark broke Lynette Woodard’s collegiate scoring record, the former University of Kansas standout stated that her record was not legitimately broken, arguing Clark had an unfair edge owing to her longer eligibility. It’s worth mentioning that Clark isn’t even the team’s oldest player, and she shattered the career goals record in less than four years.
It is so remarkable that women, who are well aware of how frequently their sport is marginalized, would attempt to discredit the successes of a female athlete, particularly one at the vanguard of substantial strides toward representation.
