"She's the biggest star in all of sports": CBB analyst drops 'Tiger Woods' statement on $3.1M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark amid March Madness success

LSU vs. Iowa was one of the most-watched women`s basketball games ever. The Hawkeyes beat the defending champions, Tigers to move on to the Final Four behind yet another record-breaking scoring night from Caitlin Clark, and pundits are quick to give her props once more.

Podcaster and columnist Jason Whitlock shared one of the hottest college hoops takes ever on his profile on X:

Whitlock was replying to his own tweet from March 1, wherein he compared LSU vs. Iowa to the iconic Magic Johnson-Larry Bird rivalry. He wrote:

"The answer to this question is yes. Show White vs Bayou Barbie averaged 12.3 million viewers! A championship game matchup between Caitlin Clark (Iowa) and Dawn Staley (South Carolina) would draw 18 million viewers and dominate men's ratings."

He continued:

"Women's basketball fans should be thanking Caitlin Clark rather than complaining she gets too much hype. She's Tiger Woods. I called it a year ago. Biggest story in sports. She's the biggest star in all of sports."

Caitlin Clark is a generational player as the current NCAA division 1 basketball all-time leading scorer, the 6-foot guard out of Des Moines has been the consensus best player in the entire nation. She broke so many records in this year alone, that the "Caitlin Clark Effect" is now a real phenomenon.

Every time Clark is playing, people are clamoring to see her play--whether live or on TV. The LSU-Iowa Elite Eight matchup is just one proof of this: with the game averaging 12.3 million concurrent viewers and peaking at 16 million (via The Athletic).

Will the Caitlin Clark Effect follow her to the pros?

So many fans are now looking ahead to Clark`s WNBA debut, and March Madness isn`t even over yet.

Caitlin Clark`s career is still nowhere near the legacy of Tiger Woods' but she`s well on her way there. That`s assuming that she won`t face major struggles when she goes to the WNBA. She`s currently valued at $3.1 million (per On3) in NIL dealings, and her fame is sure to bring in even more when she gets to the pros and the WNBA itself will benefit massively.

Analyst Rebecca Lobo said in early March that when the WNBA`s media deal expires next year, Clark`s arrival to the league will be enough to buoy the league`s ratings on its own.