Caitlin Clark - The Rival
BASKETBALL - POINT GUARD - IOWA HAWKEYES
ARCHETYPE: THE RIVAL
Day 21/135
Athletic Accomplishments
Earlier this week, freshman point guard Caitlin Clark had herself a day, as the 5-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes defeated 4-seed Kentucky to keep dancing into the Sweet Sixteen. Clark was absolutely unguardable — shooting 62% with 35 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists. And she did it with such swagger, you’d think you were watching an AND1 Mixtape.
Clark is the nation’s leading scorer on the season, averaging 27.8 points per game, while shooting 48.7% from the field and 42% from 3-point range. She also led the nation with 7.1 assists per game, while racking up 8 double-doubles and 1 triple-double this season. Homegirl ran away with Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors. She is ballin’.
Clark was named a finalist or semifinalist for several national awards, including the following:
Naismith Player of the Year (semifinalist)
Nancy Lieberman Point Guard of the Year (finalist)
Dawn Staley Late Season (finalist)
She also earned second-team all-American honors from the Associated Press, which got definitely ruffled some feathers.
What does a gal gotta do to get first-team?
Character Archetype: The Rival
But wait. I thought we already had our freshman point guard sensation. I thought UConn’s Paige Bueckers was the star. I thought there could only be one Highlander!
Think again, sports fans. This story has more than one character. Iowa freshman Caitlin Clark is a 6’0” point guard who has strength, speed, and pinpoint accuracy. She can finish at the rim, pass no look or behind the back dimes, and shoot 42% from 3-point range. Earlier this week, Kevin Durant said Clark needs to be in the league right now.
As the No. 4 recruit of the 2020 entering class, Clark could have chosen any school she wanted. She decided to stay close to home and play at Iowa. While the media fawned over UConn’s Paige Bueckers, Clark was able to stay under the radar for some of the season. But the thing is, she’s just too good to keep quiet.
So, whose star shines the brightest? Who is the sun in this solar system?
The media is having a field day, building up a Clark-Bueckers rivalry, which plays out TODAY at 1pm in a must-watch Sweet Sixteen matchup between the Hawkeyes and Huskies. Clark and Bueckers have brushed off the idea of a rivalry, reminding us that they’re good friends who admire each others’ game and each other.
But there’s often no rivalry until there’s a rivalry. And against the overall No. 1 seed, Clark has something to prove but nothing to lose. Let’s watch what happens this afternoon.