Caitlin Clark's legacy secure as Iowa preps for 'Murderer's row'

Caitlin Clark. Matt Krohn-USA TODAY Sports

Caitlin Clark's legacy already secure as Iowa preps for 'Murderer's row' in Big Dance

By Gabriel Suk | Last updated 3/19/24

Caitlin Clark and her No. 1-seed Iowa Hawkeyes seem unfazed by facing what ESPN’s Carolyn Peck dubbed a " Murderer's row" in the Albany-2 Region.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter,” Clark said after the bracket release. “We’ve got to show up, every single round.”

No matter how far Iowa goes, Clark enters this tournament with a cemented legacy. She's one of the greatest to ever play the sport.

The Greatest of All Time. @CaitlinClark22 x #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/sbNpeU1zaY
— Iowa Women's Basketball (@IowaWBB) March 3, 2024

Whether you prefer the G.O.A.T. acronym, as her team proclaimed and POTUS affirmed, or “1 of 1” like UConn legend Rebecca Lobo dubbed Clark, there’s no set formula to becoming one of the greatest. It’s a status that's impossible to define in the abstract and manifestly evident in its presence. To paraphrase former Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, “You know it when you see it.”

"I'm gonna go on the record and say she's the best female collegiate player ever."

Shaq has high praise for Caitlin Clark after breaking the NCAAW all-time scoring record pic.twitter.com/2r2Zrq93n7
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) February 16, 2024

As Shaquille O'Neal attests, we all see it and know it with Clark.

There is one quantifiable G.O.A.T. characteristic shared by all athletes across all sports spanning all eras: those who are remembered as the greatest ascended to their zenith during, not after, their career.

Michael Jordan didn’t need his last NBA ring to become one of the best ever, nor did Usain Bolt need his third straight 100m Gold in Rio, Serena Williams her final grand slam, Muhammad Ali his third fight against Frazier, Simone Biles her sixth World all-around gold, nor Jack Nicklaus his 18th major at the 1986 Masters.

The above athletes cemented themselves among the greatest of all time before their last significant career accomplishment.

Sporting greatness at its highest level exists in a realm that surpasses the limits of description. Clark has reached that level.

Her greatness is evident in the millions of viewers who tune in to watch her play on TV, the staggering ticket prices they pay to see her live and the fawning and deserved praise she garners worldwide. But these superlative facts attest to the presence of her greatness, not the checkboxes she needed to complete to earn the status.

Leading Iowa to the NCAA championship would no more change how amazing she is any more than an early exit would detract from it.

Clark is one of the greatest ever to play the college game. There are up to six more chances to watch her play in college and continue to write living history. Let’s all make sure to enjoy the journey and forget where another deep run might take her. She’s already there.

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