With all the energy surrounding the WNBA as of late, it’s the perfect time to highlight the game’s biggest names. Caitlin Clark has become a polarizing figure in women’s basketball for some fans. Much like one of her fiercest competitors, Angel Reese, the Indiana Fever player is becoming a household name. But why? Who is Clark, and why is she garnering such attention? That brings us here. Read further to learn about what has made Clark a legitimate force in the women’s basketball landscape. Just a little spoiler for you all, she’s not all hype. The juice has been worth the squeeze. Stay tuned.

1. She has won the prestigious Wooden Award twice

John Wooden is unequivocally the most revered college basketball coach of all time. Having coached the likes of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Reggie Miller, he was respected among peers and students alike. The Wooden Award is one of the highest honors a college player can receive. After her first win in 2023, Clark was once again named the award winner in 2024 because of her excellence on the court and her leadership.

2. She was born in Iowa

Clark rose to stardom in part because she is actually a hometown girl. Born in Des Moines, Iowa, Clark found a match made in heaven when she became a Hawkeye. Their home games in Iowa really became “home” games. It’s a huge reason why the fan support in that arena was unlike any other in the nation. Clark received unprecedented levels of encouragement during her college career, making for plenty of unforgettable moments for us all.

3. She brought an unprecedented amount of eyes to women’s college basketball

Once Clark made it to the NCAA national championships in 2023, the energy surrounding her game seemed to be at its height. Played against Reese and the Louisiana State University Tigers, the game averaged 9.9 million viewers.

4. Basketball isn’t the only sport she plays

Like many of their peers, athletes are fans of sports. Its possible their parents exposed them to different disciplines, and some sports they took to, while not so much to others. In the case of the Indiana Fever’s guard, she also happened to excel at soccer and golf, which she plays often during the off-season.

5. She is the first player in Division I history to have consecutive 1,000-point seasons

One thing about the Iowa native’s game is that she was a scoring machine. She holds a slew of scoring-oriented records, including having consecutive seasons in which she has scored 1,000 or more points.

6. She played on boys teams growing up

I guess it pays to have a dad for a coach sometimes. Clark participated in a boys league as a child while playing under her father. That experience shaped her approach to the game, as even at that age, she was a winner. Those wins led to complaints from other parents that she shouldn’t even be allowed on the court with the boys.

7. She holds the NCAA triple-doubles record

Triple-doubles encompass scoring and much more by way of rebounds, steals, blocks or assists. If you amass 10 over three of these respective categories during a game, you have yourself a triple-double. The achievement means you’re impacting the game in multitudes of ways. Clark has achieved this stat line more times than anyone in the history of college basketball.

8. She was the highest earning NCAA women’s basketball player ever

With name, image and likeness deals now a norm in college sports, the record-shattering athlete took advantage. As a college athlete, she became the highest-earning NCAA women’s basketball player ever in the short history of NIL. It’s reported that her deals amounted to $3.1 million.

9. She became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer

Clark is what they call a professional scorer. In her last college season, the No. 1 WNBA draftee broke an over-50-year-old record. She passed Peter “Pistol Pete” Maravich on the NCAA’s all-time scoring list — which Maravich had topped since 1970.

10. She holds the NCAA record for most three-point field goals made

The basketball talent really had a standout collegiate career as proof by all of the records she broke and reset. In her final year at Iowa, Clark also broke the NCAA record for most three-point shots made. If one were to say that Stephen Curry greatly influenced her, they wouldn’t be wrong.

11. She earned the title of Big Ten Player of the Year three times

Her accolades during her college career clearly suggest that she was the cream of the crop. Named Big Ten Player of the Year in three of her four seasons at Iowa says a lot about her sustained excellence and commitment to greatness.

12. She received The Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year Award twice

The NCAA all-time three pointers leader also earned the Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Award in two of her four seasons at Iowa. It’s clear that the hype surrounding her entry into the WNBA was well warranted. In some respects, there might not have been a more league-ready player in quite a while, outside of Reese.

13. She has represented Team USA during international competition

Although the Fever’s superstar wasn’t chosen to be on Team USA’s Olympic team, she has represented USA Basketball during the FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in 2023. A little-known fact is that Clark had international playing experience before finishing college and playing in The W.