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Caitlin Clark praises ESPYS for showcasing women's basketball

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•07/12/24•

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Clark
© Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Thursday’s ESPYS ceremony featured plenty of celebrations of women’s sports. Women’s basketball was one of the most prominent, headlined by Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and Juju Watkins.

To Clark – who watched from her couch as she and the Indiana Fever got ready to host the Phoenix Mercury on Friday – it was just the beginning for women’s sports coverage.

The No. 1 overall pick reflected on the night, which included two wins for her. But Clark pointed out Watkins and Reese as other big names in women’s basketball to bring home awards. That, she said, shows just how much hype there is around the sport.

“Something that really stood out to me was like how much women’s basketball was a part of the show,” Clark said ahead of Friday’s game. “I think it shows where women’s basketball’s going and women’s athletics in general. Serena did a tremendous job hosting. I think that was great.

“But to me, like, Juju won, Angel won, I won a couple. I think it just shows the excitement around the game and how many people watch and pay attention and where it’s gonna go.”

Clark brought home the Best College Athlete, Women’s Sports award and Best Record-Breaking Performance as she passed “Pistol” Pete Maravich for the Division I all-time scoring record. They were the latest honors after her record-breaking season, which helped her go with the top pick in the WNBA Draft this year.

How Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese set women’s hoops up for more success

The 2023-24 season was a historic one for women’s basketball. More people watched than ever, capped by 18.7 million people watching South Carolina defeat Iowa in the national championship.

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese helped lead the charge. Their Elite Eight matchup set a viewership record which fell two more times, but they were at the center of the conversation throughout the season. Clark ended her time at Iowa as the face of college basketball, including an On3 NIL Valuation of $3.4 million to top the On3 Women’s College Basketball NIL Rankings.

Reese wasn’t far behind her, though. Fueled by a strong social media following, the former LSU star sat just behind Clark with an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.8 million. The two are also helping drive TV viewership in the WNBA as their two matchups became the most-watched games in 25 years.

But they also set the table for future success after going in the draft. Juju Watkins is one of the stars ready to pick up the torch after arriving at USC as a highly rated recruit, and she still has three years left of college. Other names to watch this year are LSU standout Flau’jae Johnson and UConn star Paige Bueckers – both of whom were at the ESPYS and sit in the top two spots, respectively, in the On3 Women’s College Basketball NIL Rankings.

Even though Clark and Reese are starting their professional careers strong with All-Star Game appearances, they’re still blazing their trail. Now, the college game will look to build on the momentum.