CREDIT UNIVERSITY OF IOWA
With countless records under her belt, a third shot at the NCAA March Madness championship title, and the WNBA on the horizon, Caitlin Clark is a very busy woman.
“It’s been so much fun, but we’re not done yet,” Ms. Clark told ABC News’ Robin Roberts during an on-air interview for Good Morning America.
Ms. Clark grew up in West Des Moines and attended Dowling Catholic High School. After being named the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year, the Des Moines Register All-Iowa Athlete of the Year and Iowa Miss Basketball in her senior year, she enrolled at the UI in 2020.
She has been collecting accolades and breaking records since her freshman year.
In both 2022 and 2023, she was named Big Ten Player of the Year and First Team All American AP. She was also awarded the Nancy Lieberman Award and the Dawn Stanley Award, which was also given to her in 2021.
In 2023, she picked up several more awards, including AP Player of the Year, John R. Wooden Award, USBWA National Player of the Year and the Wade Trophy.
In the first three months of 2024, the University of Iowa senior – majoring in marketing at the Tippie College of Business – has already broken multiple scoring records, including the all-time women’s NCAA Division I scoring record and the record for most career points in Division I history for men and women, among others.
She’s also picked up the Naismith Player of the Year award and the AP Player of the year award.
“I have to pinch myself, because I know this is a once in a lifetime experience to have this much attention on a particular sport and a particular team,” said Barbara Wilson, University of Iowa president. “I’m the 22nd president, and Caitlin is number 22. So she and I have had a couple of jokes about that. At one point, I told her that and she said, ‘President Wilson, it’s fate.’ And I said, ‘I’m just happy to be a part of your journey.’”
University of Iowa women’s basketball games now see consistent record-breaking crowds, whether at Carver–Hawkeye Arena or away. In fact, the attendance at Iowa women’s basketball games during Ms. Clark’s career is estimated to have contributed between $14.4 and $52.3 million to Iowa’s economy, according to a report from the Common Sense Institute (CSI).
“Her time at Iowa has been more than an inspiration to young athletes,” CSI board member Amber Mason Lusson said in a release. “She has generated a tremendous impact on our economy, exponentially enhanced women’s sports and done more to market the university and the state than anyone in recent memory.”
Ms. Clark has not only made an impact on the court, but also through the Caitlin Clark Foundation, with the mission to “uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sport.”
Clearly embracing her role model status, Ms. Clark often takes the time to give out high-fives, signatures and hugs to her young fans.
The impact of these interactions, her talent and her integrity, are perhaps best summarized by Meadow Rose Conard, a fourth grader from Iowa City, who nominated her for the CBJ’s Emerging Woman of Influence award:
This profile was originally published in the CBJ’s 2024 Women of Influence publication. The 2024 Women of Influence are an inspiring group of community leaders who have each overcome adversity, taken chances and challenged themselves to make a positive impact in their community, despite demanding schedules in their personal and professional lives.
The CBJ will host the 2024 Women of Influence 20 Year Gala from 5-8:30 p.m. Thursday, May 2, at The Hotel at Kirkwood Center in Cedar Rapids. Tickets are still available to this event, which includes networking, dinner and remarks from the winners.
