Another sold-out crowd. Another triple-double. The Caitlin Clark Show is worth the hype
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Addi Brunton had to race in late Wednesday night, leaving her and her family to sit high atop Mackey Arena.
At least she had an excuse: The 14-year-old’s own basketball practice made the family unable to be one of the earlier arrivals for the general admission seating in the upper bowl of Purdue’s home court. But no matter, the Brunton’s were in the house, and they — like the nearly 15,000 others in the sold-out arena — came to witness one of the greatest basketball players in the history of the sport. Iowa star Caitlin Clark delivered by putting on a show, as she typically does, rolling in the 15th triple-double of her career (26-10-10) in leading her 3rd-ranked Hawkeyes to a 96-71 victory over Purdue.
“It’s really cool,” Addi Brunton said in the Mackey concourse at halftime. “I see her all the time on TikTok and to be so close to her, at home, is really cool. Especially coming here from basketball practice, it’s a different feeling. … I can brag about it, too.”
The Caitlin Clark Road Show has a bit of a carnival feel, and she’s the ringleader, playing equally to the crowd of supporters and hostiles. She brought hundreds of children, many wearing Iowa No. 22 T-shirts and some carrying home-made signs, to their feet on each of her 6 3-pointers. Others got in on the act, as well, like the older gentleman in Section 103, wearing a gaudy gold and black sports jacket emblazoned by the Iowa logo. It was eye-catching, to say the least.
Clark also drew the ire of Purdue fans at times, because she’s not only the opponent’s best player but she also is not afraid to display her emotions on the court. After a 3-pointer, when she shook off the defense of Boilermaker Jeanae Terry then launched a step-back dagger, Clark did a little shimmy while backpedaling down the court. On another, she glanced back at the Purdue bench, taking a quick look over her left shoulder as she started back toward the other end of the court. She’s demonstrative toward officials, gesturing at them when she feels she’s been wronged, and in the 4th quarter Wednesday, she picked up a technical after yelling, “That’s a foul!” after one of her passes was knocked off course.
One of her best plays of the night didn’t even count. In the last seconds of the 1st half, as Purdue was trying to give a foul, she launched an off-balance 3 from near half-court. It rattled in as an official called the foul, but the ref ruled the infraction had come moments before the shot, perhaps giving Purdue the benefit of the doubt. Clark, as one might imagine, wasn’t happy. Later, Clark had a rare misfire, air-balling a 3-pointer and drawing chants from the Purdue students and band. It didn’t seem like a good idea for a player who uses the hostility as fuel, akin to the crowd playing Spike Lee to her Reggie Miller, a relationship between Knicks fan/movie director and Pacers’ star that fans around here know well.
The official attendance was 14,867, the 4th sellout in the illustrious history of Purdue women’s basketball. During the Boilermakers’ starting lineup hype video, former players point out that Purdue is the Big Ten’s only NCAA Tournament champion, having won the title in 1999. That might have stung Iowa a bit, considering the Hawkeyes lost in last season’s championship game to LSU.
Wednesday’s game brought in fans from all over, as Purdue nearly tripled its typical average attendance of 4,826. Thousands of children, despite an 8 p.m. tip on a school night, were in the arena, as was front-office personnel from the Indiana Fever, who hold the WNBA’s No. 1 draft pick. Purdue University employee Parker Konsdorf, who was born in Iowa but raised in West Lafayette, was there, wearing Hawkeyes gear literally from head to toe. He says Wednesday was his 3rd career Caitlin Clark game, having watcher her in Iowa City, in Indianapolis at the Big Ten Tournament and now in Mackey.
“This one was a lot easier for me (to attend),” Konsdorf said. “She’s been great for women’s sports, that’s for sure. I grew up here when women’s basketball was huge, and tonight seeing the game with all these fans and how she brought in so many of these fans, it’s changed the sport.”
Sure has. Clark garners attention about everywhere she goes, bringing more eyes to the sport, whether in person or on television.
“It’s the evolution of our game and you credit Caitlin a lot for that, for what she’s brought to our game,” Purdue coach Katie Gearlds said after the game. “You’re seeing us more on TV, the women’s game more on TV, you’re seeing more on social media. Women can hoop; (No.) 22 (Clark) can hoop. But we’ve got some kids on our team and across the country, and I think the more people come out to see, the more they’re think, ‘OK, let me bring my buddy (to the game)’ because women can flat out hoop.”