Caitlin Clark’s popularity in women’s basketball seemingly has no ceiling.
Clark has been the engine driving more fans to watch women’s basketball and she has become must-see TV this season. The NBA plans to take advantage of her gravitational pull among fans when she’s expected to play in the WNBA next season. The league, seeing the success of the Sabrina Ionescu vs. Stephen Curry 3-point shootout during the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend, has a plan to include Clark in 2025, according to a report.
According to The Athletic’s Sham Charania, the league is discussing staging another 3-point shootout involving and Ionescu and Curry in 2025, but add Clark and Golden State’s Klay Thompson.
“At this point Stephen Curry versus Sabrina Ionescu is very likely for next year 2-v-2 ... I’m told with Caitlin Clark and potentially Klay Thompson to make it 2-v-2,” Charania said during an appearance on Fan Duel’s “Run It Back” podcast. “I’m told Steph Curry has specifically brought up potentially having Klay Thompson in this competition for next year ... Those two guys potentially against Sabrina Ionescu and Caitlin Clark, those are all conversations that are going to continue to go on in the coming months and as we get into the 2024-25 season.”
Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes have reached the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament following her virtuoso performance during their massive win over defending national champion LSU on Monday night. Clark has shattered numerous scoring records during her incredible senior season and her run extended into the Hawkeyes’ win against the Tigers.
The senior’s first 3-pointer of the game broke Diana Taurasi’s record of 61 3-pointers in NCAA Tournament history. When Clark drained her seventh 3-pointer, she passed Oklahoma’s Taylor Robertson for the most in a career among NCAA Division I players. Clark’s nine 3-pointers during the game tied the NCAA Tournament single-game record.
The 3-point shootout between Ionescu and Curry was the highlight of All-Star Weekend. Teaming Clark with Ionescu to face off against the “Splash Brothers” will undoubtedly be a huge win for the league.