Caitlin Clark acknowledges her greatest impact on young fans: 'That's what makes it so special'
Caitlin Clark is leaving more than records behind. She’s leaving a path to follow for countless kids who idolize her game. During an appearance on “College GameDay,” Clark revealed where she believes she’s made the most significant impact.
“Honestly, I think our fans. I think the young kids and I think that’s what means the most to me,” Clark said. “Seeing the young girls and young boys that scream and wear my jersey every single night, that’s what makes it so special.
“I used to be that young kid and time goes really fast. So, that’s never anything you ever take for granted and you try to make as much time as you can for them. That’s something that just never gets old.”
Clark has produced no shortage of inspirational material for any kids watching her. The Iowa native is averaging 32.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. She averages the most points and assists in the nation.
Additionally, Clark is closing in on the Division I all-time record held by “Pistol” Pete Maravich. He scored 3,667 points in three years for LSU from 1968-70. Clark already shattered Kelsey Plum’s women’s basketball scoring record earlier this year.
Local outlets reported basketball camps in the area have seen a major uptick since Clark began playing at Iowa. Clark witnessed this increase first hand. Last summer, she hosted a basketball camp at Valley Community Center in West Des Moines. Per Clark, the camp sold out in only a few hours.
The country-wide craze around Caitlin Clark
Of course, every Clark superfans needs a Clark jersey. After Clark surpassed Plum’s scoring record last week, she became the Fanatics’ top-selling college athlete in the NIL Era. She passed the previous high seller, Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
According to Fanatics, more Clark-branded merchandise was sold in less than 24 hours after she broke the record Thursday night than any other individual men’s or women’s NIL college athlete across all sports has sold since 2022 when NIL merchandise began.
Clark will see no shortage of replica jerseys on Sunday when her team looks to avenge its loss against Ohio State at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. Clark will play in front a devoted sellout crowd. The game has the most expensive tickets for any women’s college hoops or WNBA game ever, according to ESPN.
The game will never be the same, and Caitlin Clark couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to play her part in history.
“I came to Iowa with huge aspirations and now I’m getting to play in front of 15,000-plus every single night and that’s so cool,” Clark said earlier this season. “Those are moments that you really can only dream of and now I’m living it every single day of my life and that’s really special.”