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Caitlin Clark bid adieu to her college basketball career after a heartbreaking loss in Sunday’s NCAA Finals against the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Iowa star will take her talent to the WNBA this year, hoping to accomplish what she could not in college. But 3-time WNBA Champion Diana Taurasi believes it might not be that easy for the 22-year-old star to dominate at the pro level. And veteran analyst Stephen A. Smith doubled down on Taurasi’s comments by revealing a glaring stain on Caitlin Clark’s resume.
With only one week remaining in the 2024 WNBA draft, Diana Taurasi revealed her thoughts about Caitlin Clark’s game, translating to the next level. She gave the youngster a harsh reality check, saying, “The reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing.” The WNBA legend claimed it happens many times that a player looks superhuman playing against 18-year-olds in college. But it changes when they face grown women in the WNBA. So, unlike what fans think, Caitlin might go through a transition period once she plays at the professional level.
ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith addressed Taurasi’s bold claim on the latest episode of The Stephen A. Smith Show. He pointed out that despite having a historic college career, Caitlin Clark was unable to win a Championship like other college greats. “That’s gonna be a blemish when you talk about somebody being a GOAT in the history of anything.” According to Smith, not winning a college title will hurt Clark’s name being among the ‘best of the best’ debate in the long run.
Championships have always been an obvious measure of a player’s greatness in every sport. Clark’s failure to lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to a title in back-to-back seasons will be discussed for a long time. But, amid all the negatives, there are positives that Smith points out as well.
Stephen A. Smith reveals Caitlin Clark’s impact on Women’s basketball
Stephen A. Smith appreciates what Caitlin Clark has done for the game. “What Caitlin Clark has done for Women’s basketball can’t be measured.” She has single-handedly uplifted Women’s basketball with her incredible college career. Her impact on the game was evident from this year’s NCAA Women’s tournament ratings. The Elite Eight matchup between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese set a new NCAA Women’s basketball record with 12.3 million viewers.
It did not stop there. The Final Four matchup between Caitlin Clark and Paige Bueckers shattered the previous record with 14.2 million viewers. And Sunday’s final topped that with 18.7 million viewers.
The Caitlin Clark-starring NCAA Finals was the most-watched basketball game (college or pro) since 2019. Although she did not win a college title, she brought millions of new eyeballs to Women’s basketball. Stephen A. Smith believes if Clark continues her dominance in the WNBA, not only will it benefit her, but the entire league. The youngster is projected to get drafted Number 1 on Monday’s WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. And fans cannot wait to see her wreak havoc at the pro level like she did with the Hawkeyes.
