One of Caitlin Clark’s favorite hobbies is the board game Chameleon, which, she explained, requires doing whatever it takes, including bluffing and outright lying, to blend in and avoid drawing attention from the other competitors.
It’s hard to imagine a bigger challenge for the Iowa Hawkeyes star, who spent the past month on center stage, basking in the glow of one of the most electrifying NCAA tournament runs in history. There was nothing covert or forgettable about her reign of terror, which saw the Hawkeyes reach their first title game, which they lost to LSU on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Clark was everywhere on the court and off it, a homegrown phenom blossoming into a national phenomenon. The junior guard averaged 31.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 10 assists during March Madness, setting tournament records for points, assists and three-pointers.
She achieved her childhood dream of reaching the Final Four, swept three player of the year awards and inspired what should become known as the “Clark Ratio.” Television broadcasts tracked the percentage of Iowa’s points she was responsible for with her scoring and assists — a number that seemed to push higher by the game.
Beyond the tears, taunts and technical, LSU achieves a sparkling title
This accounting took place in between pregame feature stories about her, halftime interviews with her, cutaway looks at her family in the stands and endless highlights of her waterfall three-pointers and zippy passes. Saturation coverage helps make stars, and it can turn them into targets.
In an Elite Eight win over Louisville, she posted a 41-point triple-double and celebrated by waving her hand in front of her face to signal that her opponents couldn’t see her. In a Final Four semifinal upset over previously unbeaten South Carolina, she poured in 41 points and easily outplayed Aliyah Boston, this year’s presumptive No. 1 WNBA draft pick. Along the way, Clark added hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and played to 9.9 million television viewers on Sunday, which ESPN said was its most-viewed women’s game ever.
But LSU dominated Iowa throughout the championship game, as Clark’s barnstorming concluded with a 102-85 defeat. Though she led all scorers with 30 points and hit eight three-pointers, the loss gave her a taste of her future, which will require navigating the pitfalls and pressures that come with her burgeoning fame.
As the clock ticked down with LSU’s victory in hand, Tigers star Angel Reese sought out Clark to mimic her hand-waving celebration and point at her ring finger to celebrate the title. Reese’s celebrations, interpreted as disrespectful by some, actually revealed a healthy competitive respect. Reese wouldn’t have bothered if surviving Clark hadn’t felt like a major accomplishment.
Clark didn’t react in the moment and downplayed Reese’s glee during a postgame news conference. She has spent three years trying to elevate Iowa to the same level as South Carolina, Connecticut and Stanford, and the exchange was a sign that her success has made her the hunted, not the hunter.
Reentering Earth’s orbit will be an extended process for Clark, who relishes silencing hecklers and outfoxing opponents. Now, she will play in the shadow of her own high standards, too. Clark’s tournament run will be remembered for decades, yet many will expect her to simply do it again as a senior. That won’t be easy.
Iowa caught some breaks that might not recur next year: Stanford, Duke and Texas were all upset within its region, and Boston ran into early foul trouble in the semifinal. What’s more, the Hawkeyes will lose center Monika Czinano next season, stripping Clark of her pick-and-roll partner. Clark will thus face even more defensive attention and an even smaller margin for error, and Reese surely won’t be the last opponent to seek her out while the television cameras are rolling.
It’s hard to imagine a bigger challenge for the Iowa Hawkeyes star, who spent the past month on center stage, basking in the glow of one of the most electrifying NCAA tournament runs in history. There was nothing covert or forgettable about her reign of terror, which saw the Hawkeyes reach their first title game, which they lost to LSU on Sunday.
The 21-year-old Clark was everywhere on the court and off it, a homegrown phenom blossoming into a national phenomenon. The junior guard averaged 31.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 10 assists during March Madness, setting tournament records for points, assists and three-pointers.
She achieved her childhood dream of reaching the Final Four, swept three player of the year awards and inspired what should become known as the “Clark Ratio.” Television broadcasts tracked the percentage of Iowa’s points she was responsible for with her scoring and assists — a number that seemed to push higher by the game.
Beyond the tears, taunts and technical, LSU achieves a sparkling title
This accounting took place in between pregame feature stories about her, halftime interviews with her, cutaway looks at her family in the stands and endless highlights of her waterfall three-pointers and zippy passes. Saturation coverage helps make stars, and it can turn them into targets.
In an Elite Eight win over Louisville, she posted a 41-point triple-double and celebrated by waving her hand in front of her face to signal that her opponents couldn’t see her. In a Final Four semifinal upset over previously unbeaten South Carolina, she poured in 41 points and easily outplayed Aliyah Boston, this year’s presumptive No. 1 WNBA draft pick. Along the way, Clark added hundreds of thousands of Instagram followers and played to 9.9 million television viewers on Sunday, which ESPN said was its most-viewed women’s game ever.
But LSU dominated Iowa throughout the championship game, as Clark’s barnstorming concluded with a 102-85 defeat. Though she led all scorers with 30 points and hit eight three-pointers, the loss gave her a taste of her future, which will require navigating the pitfalls and pressures that come with her burgeoning fame.
As the clock ticked down with LSU’s victory in hand, Tigers star Angel Reese sought out Clark to mimic her hand-waving celebration and point at her ring finger to celebrate the title. Reese’s celebrations, interpreted as disrespectful by some, actually revealed a healthy competitive respect. Reese wouldn’t have bothered if surviving Clark hadn’t felt like a major accomplishment.
Clark didn’t react in the moment and downplayed Reese’s glee during a postgame news conference. She has spent three years trying to elevate Iowa to the same level as South Carolina, Connecticut and Stanford, and the exchange was a sign that her success has made her the hunted, not the hunter.
Reentering Earth’s orbit will be an extended process for Clark, who relishes silencing hecklers and outfoxing opponents. Now, she will play in the shadow of her own high standards, too. Clark’s tournament run will be remembered for decades, yet many will expect her to simply do it again as a senior. That won’t be easy.
Iowa caught some breaks that might not recur next year: Stanford, Duke and Texas were all upset within its region, and Boston ran into early foul trouble in the semifinal. What’s more, the Hawkeyes will lose center Monika Czinano next season, stripping Clark of her pick-and-roll partner. Clark will thus face even more defensive attention and an even smaller margin for error, and Reese surely won’t be the last opponent to seek her out while the television cameras are rolling.
