Not Steph, not LeBron, not Kobe, not Jordan. Clark.
“I wanna be like… Mike. Steph. CLARK.”
This is one of the fan signs in Dallas when the reigning champs South Carolina Gamecocks bid goodbye to their dreams of a perfect season, as they lost to the Iowa Hawkeyes, 77-73, in the Final Four on Saturday.
And most likely, this fan is just echoing the thoughts of countless fans who have seen the run of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark in this year’s NCAA Tournament, which is now being labeled as one of the best all-time.
And with reason.
Not only did Clark’s 41 points led Iowa in ending the 42-game win streak of defending champions South Carolina—giving them their only loss this season—but Caitlin also became the first player in Women’s NCAA Tournament history to score back-to-back 40-point games.
She also scored 41 in their Elite Eight win against the Louisville earlier this week, which sent them to their first Final Four trip since 1993.
In the process, Clark became only the sixth player to score 1,000 points in a season—joining other greats like Kelsey Plum and Jackie Stiles.
And this run isn’t over yet, as Iowa is set to face the LSU Tigers on Monday for the championship.
But with or without that title, it’s safe to say Clark has cemented her 2023 tourney as one of the all-time greats.
@iamlaurenmiles knows that.
If you want proof, just look at Saturday’s game against South Carolina, where Clark scored or assisted on all of their 18 points in the fourth quarter. Writer Shea Serrano knows that's major.
No wonder music producer Ahmed, or bigbizthegod, or @big_business_ compared Caitlin’s run to LeBron James’ dismantling of the Detroit Pistons in 2007.
Podcasters of @PardonMyTake saw Wilt Chamberlain.
But maybe, enough with the male comparisons, as she IS Caitlin Clark.
NBA stars CJ McCollum of the New Orleans Pelicans and Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks recognize the greatness. Denver Nuggets' Jamal Murray, meanwhile, was left without words.
Well, there’s really nothing else to say, but she is HER.