Show Up and Show Out

Last Sunday, fans gathered outside of Pinnacle Bank Arena as early as 4 am to potentially witness Caitlin Clark make NCAA women’s basketball history. Many Iowa fans made the 4.5 hour drive to see their star player play against Nebraska. It was a sellout game with an attendance of 15,042 fans. This was a record high for Nebraska women’s basketball and what many have called, “The Caitlin Clark Effect”. 

Showing up matters and the fans were the MVP for this game. The Big Ten Network posted a video of hundreds of fans lined up. Tickets were being sold for high prices prior to the highly anticipated game. The amount of coverage this game got is because people are watching women’s basketball. The interest continues to grow as these young players continue to play at an elite level. 

Nebraska was the underdog most of the game until they shifted their defense and Clark wasn’t able to score during the fourth quarter. Clark scored a total of 31 points and was eight points shy of breaking the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record. The narrative of the game shifted as Nebraska took the lead and their offense dominated which led them to victory. It was a historic game and many got to witness the greatness of women’s basketball.

The next game was Clark’s chance to beat Kelsey Plum’s NCAA women’s basketball scoring record at home. Clark beat it within three minutes of the game. It was 39 seconds into the game and Clark already scored five points. On the next possession, fans could sense the moment coming and rose to their feet. A sold out Carver-Hawkeye Arena with 14,998 fans prepared to witness history. Clark pulled up to the Hawkeyes logo, launched a shot from deep and the shot was good. Clark officially became the NCAA women’s basketball scoring record leader. Clark put up a career-high 49 point game.

The spotlight may be on Clark but she is making a huge impact on women’s sports. All of the sold out arenas, fans making pilgrimages to get to Carver-Hawkeye Arena, media coverage, and the kids with uncapped sharpies ready to ask Clark for her autograph. There are so many factors contributing to the success and peak of women’s sports, but how lucky are we to witness such greatness in 2024? If there is one thing to take from all of this, it’s that showing up and showing out matters. Whether you are an athlete or a fan, you are making an impact in women’s sports.