It’s hard to fully comprehend the power of Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark until seeing it in person.
The way her existence made Hawkeyes fans line more than half a mile of the Minneapolis skyways as they waited to get into the Target Center. The way she cupped her hand to her ear sent nearly 18,000 people into oblivion. The way her missed shots captivate the masses just as much as her made shots.
Stunningly, Clark started the Big Ten Tournament by going 0 for 11 from long range. She was clearly trying to bring the house down with every shot she took. Not that anybody seemed to mind.
That’s my poison sometimes,” Clark said. “I’m going to launch it.”
Eventually, her shot was going to go in, and when it finally did, Clark leaned into the theatrics. She comically raised her arms skyward in relief, then stuck her tongue out to the crowd. That exchange was worth the price of admission.
“I was trolling,” Clark said. “You’ve got to have some fun.”
It’s safe to say the Twin Cities is having some fun this weekend getting to be a part of her orbit. She’s a talent who comes around once in a generation, a tactician in everything she does, a performer who can singlehandedly boost the economy in the same vein as Taylor Swift.
Maybe the most impressive thing about Clark is that everybody is trying to stop her and nobody can figure out how to do it. If she’s left alone with a defender, Clark is going to cook her like barbecue chicken. If she’s swarmed by multiple defenders, Clark is going to make the right play to find an open teammate.
She finished with 24 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists on Friday night to lead the Hawkeyes to a 95-62 win over No. 7 seed Penn State in the quarterfinals. It was a bad game by Clark’s standards and she was still far and away the best player on the court.
She followed it up by pouring in 28 points and 15 assists on Saturday afternoon to lead the Hawkeyes to a 95-68 win over No. 6 seed Michigan in the semifinals. It was a much more dominant display by Clark, highlighted by a stretch where she nailed a shot from way beyond the arc, then dished out a nasty behind-the-back pass to get Sydney Affolter a layup on the very next possession.
What will she do for an encore on Sunday morning when the Hawkeyes play No. 5 seed Nebraska in the finals? It’ll probably be something special considering throughout her career she’s proven the bigger the spotlight, the better she’s going to perform.
That will be the last 40 minutes many people in the Twin Cities get to see her play in person as a collegian. She’s off to the NCAA Tournament after this weekend, and not long after that, the Indiana Fever will take her with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft.
That’s not lost on Clark. She’s gone out of her way this weekend to make time for as many people as she can. She knows how much some eye contact and a simple wave can leave a lasting effect on a young girl watching from afar.
“It would take me forever to get through everybody,” Clark said. “Even if I can impact 10 people, that goes a long way, and that has an impact on me, too.”
Just having the privilege of seeing her in person is more than enough. There’s never been anybody quite like Caitlin Clark and there might never be anybody quite like Caitlin Clark ever again. It’s a sight to be seen, and the Twin Cities is lucky to be a small part of it.
