The greatest day ever at Carver-Hawkeye Arena

What is the Caitlin Clark effect?

“It’s hard to really put into words,” Iowa athletic director Beth Goetz said.

For starters, it makes Dallas the second most popular Clark in Iowa.

“She took the whole name out of the water, she’s incredible,” Dallas Clark said.

She brings the unlikeliest of fans to Iowa City.

“I’m a diehard LSU fan, but I watch Iowa every game — so I like both,” Louisiana resident Brandi Harrington revealed.

“My girls are big Caitlin Clark fans and we decided we wanted to do something with them and for them,” said Jamie Hotchkiss, who took her two daughters from Washington to the game.

But fans ranged from global superstars like Travis Scott, to the recognizable faces from the commercials we see on TV.

“She’s so fluid, it’s so unpredictable seeing what she really can do — pass shoot, she’ll get a rebound — it’s honestly inspiring to watch,” Jake from State Farm said.

A ticket to Iowa vs. Ohio State was the most expensive in women’s basketball history — fans willing to pay nearly anything to see this once-in-a-generation superstar. But pre-game it was Clark’s turn to be starstruck, getting to meet Maya Moore for the very first time.

“Obviously for her to be here and surprise me was pretty special and it felt like I was that young girl again,” Clark said. “It’s crazy how life can come full circle.”

“I was just super excited to finally meet Caitlin and to share this special moment on her senior day,” Moore said.

Moore and the rest of the crowd got their money’s worth as Clark took her place as the number one scorer — male or female — in the history of NCAA basketball.

Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder has pounded the table for Lynette Woodard to be acknowledged as the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer. Her playing days, of course, were before women’s basketball was recognized by the NCAA. After years of erasure from the history books, Woodard attended the game and received a rightfully deserved ovation as a living legend.

“Lynette Woodard is really special,” Bluder said. “I have not had the honor of meeting Lynette Woodard until today and it was a real privilege — she was my role model growing up.”

“That record has been held for 43 years and for her to be in another stratosphere with her team trying to get to the Final Four. For her to say that, I’ll never forget it as long as I live,” Woodard said.

Some say women’s basketball lives here in Iowa. You can’t find an empty seat or a kid watching without big dreams. This is what Clark built; this is her legacy.

“I think that’s what’s been so fun about this whole ride is the style of basketball we play,” Clark said. “They’re not just here for me. I’m sure I help, but at the end of the day we have a really great team and a great culture and that’s what makes it so fun.”

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