[
Guest post by Joe Hooft on JoeHooft.com – republished with permission
Caitlin Clark is a phenomenon and sports fans know it.
On Wednesday night, Clark broke more all-time records in NCAA women's basketball in her team's final Big Ten season road game, as her Hawkeyes defeated Minnesota 108–60.
Tickets for Clark's last residence sport on Sunday, if she decides to not return subsequent yr, are going for greater than $5,000.
ESPN writes:
Iowa Hawkeyes guard Kaitlin Clark broke the NCAA ladies's scoring document in early February — and is making an attempt to interrupt one other document by filling the seats of Carver-Hawkeye Area.
On Sunday, the No. 6 Hawkeyes will face the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes on Senior Night time. It should value $408 to look at the potential first-round WNBA draft decide play what might be her last regular-season residence sport in an Iowa jersey.
In line with Vivid Seats, the sport's most costly listing is $5,199.
Tickets to see Clark's matchup towards the top-ranked Buckeyes surpassed all ladies's faculty basketball and WNBA video games as the costliest for a ladies's sport.
This comes after Clark set a scoring document on February 15 towards the Michigan Wolverines, the place tickets had been priced at $337. The value elevated by 45% for the ultimate residence sport.
Not too long ago, the Massive Ten bought out tickets for the ladies's basketball convention event for the primary time in its almost three many years of existence.
Lark is simply 18 factors away from passing “Pistol Pete” Maravich for the all-time scoring lead in NCAA basketball, males or ladies, and is anticipated to surpass that mark on Sunday.
Former UCLA and professional basketball nice Invoice Walton sees comparisons between Clark and Maravich.
Two days earlier than Christmas 1969, Invoice Walton noticed Pete Maravich in individual for the primary time.
A highschool senior from San Diego heading for hoops immortality at UCLA, Walton watched at Pauley Pavilion because the LSU legend was going by way of his pregame warmup workout routines.
“He was a gifted man,” Walton informed ESPN. “And as typically occurs with gifted individuals, they get bored in a short time. That's why he was continuously difficult himself. He was a showman and he cherished the present.”
Walton understands why individuals see the similarities between Maravich and Iowa ladies's faculty basketball star Kaitlin Clark, who’s near passing Maravich for the Division I males's and ladies's scoring mark. Maravich scored 3,667 factors from 1967–70; Clarke is at 3,650. He's simply 18 factors away from breaking the document in Sunday's common season finale at residence towards Ohio State.
“Once I see him play, which is as typically as doable, I get an enormous smile on my face,” Walton mentioned. “The great thing about basketball is that it's not nearly measurement and power. It's about ability, timing and place, and he has all this stuff and extra. She amazes individuals together with her creativeness and creativity. She makes it enjoyable.”
Maravich was born in 1947 and died at age 40 in 1988, 14 years earlier than Clark was born. In that point, the world of basketball has expanded tremendously, together with the fashionable ladies's sport. Maravich's faculty profession got here earlier than freshman eligibility, so he performed solely three seasons – a complete of 83 video games – at LSU. Earlier than the 3-point shot and the shot clock, Maravich averaged 38.1 photographs and 44.2 factors per sport. Senior Clark has averaged 19.9 photographs and 28.3 factors in 129 profession video games.
Walton mentioned that statistical comparisons between totally different eras within the sport are problematic due to all of the variables. However what gamers can imply to a sport, and the way they make individuals really feel when watching them, is extra comparable.
“Caitlin is a type of uncommon forces of nature that when she performs, you may't take your eyes off her as a result of she's shifting so gracefully and productively,” Walton mentioned. “She can be a results of the evolutionary technique of the late 60s and early 70s, when ladies started to be empowered to play aggressive sports activities. There have been many foundational gamers earlier than him.”
Good luck getting a ticket to Sunday's last season sport and probably Clark's last NCAA common season sport at Iowa.