Caitlin Clark believes the women’s NCAA Tournament is generating more excitement than the men’s side.
The Women’s NCAA Tournament has never been more popular, thanks to standouts like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, who played through frustration, a brief outburst at the end of the first half, and a hard fall to the floor after an intentional foul in the Hawkeyes’ first-round NCAA Tournament victory over Holy Cross.
Clark helped the top-seeded Hawkeyes overcome a poor start to end with 27 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds, and he spoke about the national spotlight after the game, as well as the influence new supporters have had on the game and viewers this season.
“People are more excited about the women’s side than the men’s side, and I think that’s obviously something that’s really never been the case before,” said Clark. “It’s interesting to watch how it’s progressed. When I started this as a freshman, we couldn’t even use the March Madness trademark, but now it’s gone to another level. I anticipate that it will continue to increase this year.”
Here’s the remainder of Clark’s post-game comments, including her thoughts on her team’s success in March Madness:
ON SHAKING OFF, HARD FALL TO THE FLOOR
“Honestly, it was simply a sting in the nose. I was lucky that it wasn’t worse. But, overall, it didn’t worry me too much. I believe you simply kind of responded. It was nice to get two free shots and never run a play, but it looked horrible in slow motion, which wasn’t intentional. She did not do that on purpose. She walked up and apologized, but I’m completely OK.”
ON SHOWING FRUSTRATION.
During the broadcast, ESPN’s Holly Rowe stated that managing her fury during games is something “she’s been working on” this season, before telling a tale about Clark shoving her brother against the wall during a pickup game several years ago, resulting in stitches.
Earlier in the game, Clark expressed her irritation by bouncing the ball against her own head during a play stoppage. After the final whistle in the second quarter, Clark appealed with the official who had called an offensive foul on the nation’s leading scorer a few plays before.
“Yeah, I think I could have smiled a bit more tonight. I believe the first quarter was frustrating for all of us. I believe this is a game that you should come out and dominate right away since it will fuel your run. Like Coach stated, I believe we played with a little rust. I believe the main thing is that they really crammed the They only sat four players in there, so it’s difficult to drive to the hoop, and after you miss a couple long shots to begin with, you’re left wondering what to do.
“But I believe, as Coach mentioned, we really began running our offense in the second quarter, and then I was able to make some plays for my defense that went into offense, especially late in the game, and then just tried to bring more intensity. But, yes, I was a bit frustrated, but I believe that comes from understanding what it takes to get where we want to go. From here on out, I believe every team will give us a great game. At this time, every team is ranked in the top 25. That’s what makes March so enjoyable. I believe I could have grinned a little more, but hey, I’m competitive.
