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Before making the jump from the NCAA to the WNBA, Caitlin Clark cemented herself as a household name while competing for the University of Iowa. In a recap of the top 100 most watched US TV broadcasts of 2024, Clark's impact can be seen compared to other major sporting events.
While other events, such as NFL and NCAA American football games, drew more viewers, Clark's final college game, per Nielsen data, drew more viewers than the World Series, Grammy Awards Show, and the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The chart, which was put together by Sportico and shared by Clark Report on X (formerly known as Twitter), showed Clark's star power.
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In response, the WNBA community was quick to weigh in with their thoughts on the situation:
"The wnba will say a black girl was the reason," one wrote.
"She is a once in a life time phenomenon. We are blessed to be able to witness it as it is happening!" - another added
"I was at the final 4. What an experience it was to get to witness Caitlin Clark and Iowa’s historic run even if we didn’t get the outcome we wanted. Caitlin Clark has unreal motion!" - one added.
Others weighed in on the situation and Caitlin Clark's star power:
"The semifinal was the first women’s basketball i had ever watched and it was an amazing game. Also watched the final …" - one wrote.
"She is the moment !!!" - another added.
"Things just change really fast," - Caitlin Clark opens up on the jump from playing in the NCAA to playing in the WNBA
While Caitlin Clark cemented herself as a household name while playing for the Iowa Hawkeyes, her star power soared to new heights after making the jump to the WNBA.
With her unparalleled popularity and the attention she brought with her to the WNBA, the league wound up chartering flights for teams rather than having them fly commercial. While things were changing on the WNBA's side, things were also changing for Clark, who went from the NCAA right to the WNBA.
As she told Jason and Travis Kelce on their New Heights podcast, everything changed for her after making the jump to the WNBA.
“All in a good way. Things just change really fast. That’s just how the world works, especially with social media, people see a lot of your life but that’s what makes it fun and why I’ve had so many cool opportunities too.”
After a stellar rookie season that saw her win Rookie of the Year honors and All-WNBA First Team honors, it's clear, based on the Nielsen ratings, that Clark's only going to continue to become an increasingly bigger star.
