Rings Don’t Tell the Whole Story: Caitlin Clark Already Changed the Game

On April 6th UConn’s women’s basketball team was crowned National Champions, making it UConn’s 12th natty championship. A big reason on why they got that far was the outstanding play of Paige Buckers, who an almost certain number one draft pick in the upcoming WNBA draft.

After this year’s women’s college basketball season wrapped up, I started thinking about all the talk surrounding Caitlin Clark last year. People were quick to say she couldn’t be considered one the GOATS because she never won a national Championship – buts lets be real, a lot of that is just for clicks and conversation.

If winning a college national championship is the key to being a GOAT that might work in women’s basketball, but it will not work in the NBA, NFL, or the MLB.  So why do we want to put such a ridiculous hurdle on women’s basketball.  There’s more to the Catlin Clark story. If were strictly talking game, she is an outstanding player. She won rookie of the year not because her name gets thrown around but because she earned it.  Clark set the record of being the first rookie in the WNBA to get a triple double, and she got that achievement twice. Also, she took the Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016.

Caitlin Clark brought an unprecedented spotlight to women’s basketball. Acknowledging her impact isn’t about discrediting the talent in the WNBA, its simply recognizing that she’s the reason many new fans started tuning in. She had the same impact in women’s basketball that Steph Curry has had in the NBA.  They both changed the respective game maybe forever.

The 2024 women’s March Madness championship game, Iowa vs LSU had 19.7 million viewers, making it the most watched women’s basketball game in history. The 2025 women’s March Madness championship, UConn vs South Carolina had an avg of 8.6 million viewers, (peak of 9.9 million) that’s roughly 10 million less viewers, take a guess why.

At some point, we have to stop letting outdated standards define greatness. Caitlin Clark didn’t just rack up stats—she redefined the visibility and excitement around women’s basketball. If changing the game doesn’t qualify you for GOAT status, what does? Championships are earned, but impact is undeniable—and Caitlin Clark's legacy is already bigger than a banner. She’s just beginning. Why don’t we give her time to mature and write her own story on the court?