University of Iowa’s Caitlin Clark has received tremendous accolades for her achievements in basketball. Clark was named 2024 Naismith National Player of the Year, broke the record for most points scored by any man or woman in an NCAA Tournament and won the title for The Athletic’s National Player of the Year.
With Clark’s help, viewership of the NCAA women’s basketball final between Iowa and South Carolina hit 18.9 million, surpassing that of the men’s tournament, which peaked at 14.82 million. Clark’s contribution to the increase in women’s basketball viewership has brought forth new popularity and attention to the sport.
While Clark received national recognition, members of the Drake basketball program were able to experience and contribute firsthand to the growth of the sport. As both the Bulldogs and Hawkeyes made it to March Madness this year, the appreciation for women’s basketball in Iowa continues through local communities.
Nicci Hays Fort has been assistant coach for the Drake women’s basketball team since 2016. Hays Fort spoke to the growth of women’s basketball she has seen in recent years.
“It’s cool to see that [for] the women and men that [have coached] women’s basketball for the last 50 years, all the fruits of their labor have come to fruition,” Hays Fort said.
Hays Fort discussed the heartfelt impact that Clark has had on the sport of women’s basketball, which she saw when the women’s basketball team played Iowa in the Carver-Hawkeye Arena on Nov. 19.
“An hour and a half before the game, the doors were open. There were hundreds of little girls and even a few little boys surrounding the court, just wanting to get a picture with her, hoping that they got her attention and maybe she’d come over and see them,” Hays Fort said.
Speaking on its impacts to Drake basketball players, Hays Fort voiced her hope that the popularity of women’s basketball, specifically in Iowa, will shed light on the talent of Drake players.
“[Clark] has taken women’s basketball and taken it to new heights,” Hays Fort said. “It allows the Katie Dinnebiers, Anna Millers and Grace Bergs to thrive. They’ve been able to rise up and get attention and notoriety.”
Junior guard Katie Dinnebier grew up in Des Moines and played with Clark on the same Amateur Athletic Union team and throughout high school.
“The shots [Clark] takes and the ways she plays the game has never been seen before,” Dinnebier said. “Her work ethic, her dedication to the sport and also to see her advertise the sport and lift other athletes up; that’s incredible and speaks to her character.”
Dinnebier talked about the different stereotypes around men’s and women’s basketball and said that Clark is proof that women’s basketball is equal to men’s in terms of difficulty and ability.
“[Clark’s] message has been that she just hopes girls look up to her and think they can do anything. And that speaks for not only her but for all female athletes,” Dinnebier said.
Dinnebier expressed excitement about her senior year at Drake, saying she’s eager to experience her final year amid the newfound publicity surrounding women’s basketball.
“I hope Caitlin Clark had enough of an impact at Iowa that it trickles down to every other school,” Dinnebier said. “Being a Division I school in Iowa, I hope that people want to come out and watch our games because they’re fun.”
Alex Carr, a member of the Gray Squad, spoke about his experience working with the women’s basketball team. Carr’s role is to help the women’s basketball team in practices, during which he assists by running plays, helping with drills and rebounding balls.
“If people see that Iowa is playing tonight, they’ll watch the game,” Carr said. “National talk on the news, every TV or radio station — they all talk about women’s basketball.”
Carr believes that the connection between members of Drake’s team and their dedication to the sport generates recognition from the community.
“I’m excited to see them keep winning. They’ve won the conference [twice] in the past 2 years,” Carr said. “Now that women’s basketball has become more popular, if [Drake makes] the NCAA tournament again, they’ll gain more publicity and they deserve that.”
With Clark’s recent selection as the first overall pick in the WNBA to the Indiana Fever, women’s basketball continues to gain popularity on a collegiate and professional level.
“It’s nice that female athletes, especially at the collegiate level, are finally getting that recognition they deserve. It’s been a long time coming,” Dinnebier said.
