I live about 35 miles for Carver Hawkeye...the BB floor where they play. If anyone wants a punch in the nose say something bad about Caitlyn Clark in public. She is very highly revered in this State. When the whole Angel Reese vs Caitlyn thing went on last season....fans thought the world was gong to end. Caitlyn is a staple and truly a gem....she spend many hours a week at the Childrens wing of the U of I. You see every walk of life wearing her jersey...( No 22) from old fat guys to "one-sees". They say Caitlyn's friend are frustrated with her as after a win they want to celebrate and she is always super late, because she is signing autographs and taking selfies. While she knows who and what she represents she is still very humble as is her Dad. I have never heard her Mom speak, I think she leaves the interviews to her Dad. Caitlyn, IMHO was created by her Dad. He took her everywhere and played her against the toughest competition he could find. When she fell down, he did not run down there and cradle her....rather told her to get up and shake it off. I think she has played through a lot of pain....as demonstrated by her knees and shins...she is always full of bruises....
Her Dad tried to get her into boys leagues, sometimes they allowed it, sometimes not. As you guys probably know most college teams have a practice team...in Iowa they are the "Grey Team". They are boys at Iowa Girls practices.
I am retired now, but had a larger Photographic Studio for 40 some years. Our mainstay in the later 90's thru my reirement in 20, was sports and team photos. The largest school of the 20 some we did was where Lisa Bluder graduated from and played ball at. There is still probably some of her family members going there. She is royalty around here.....while Hawkeye Football is still king, fans are extremely critical of the coach and his staff, only the very cinical is critical of girls BB around here. Like Writeon said you could get a seat anytime before Caitlyn. They played a lot on Sunday afternoon, and folks would just decide on a whim to go, you could get in for 15 bucks or so and sit 7 or 8 rows from the floor.....not since Caitlyn.
THe students are selling their tickets for 10,000.00 on e sites for this Thursday....I see the bids going up, so they must be getting it. That is funny because entire season tickets are still 200.00. Folks are selling the everyday tickets for several hundred dollars. I believe I heard Caitlyns Dad say she has sold out the staduim in the last 8 or 9 venues she played in.
I am not an expert in the NIL monies, but I assume anything is fair game. Caitlyn has a foundation for charity, plus I heard her NIL money will be around 2 million in 24. People are afraid that Caitly will go to the WNBA at the end of the year.....I believe even the big stars make 200k there....why would she go.
The whole story has been great for womens sports in general, and just plain fun to hear and see. Her boyfriend is a McCafferty. He played for the boys team, and his Dad is coach, Fran McCafferty, and his bother plays too. They are all good people. You often see them in attendance at her games.
Anyway, the whole State is rooting for her.....
