Nothing but net, Jane. Well done. A friend told me that basketball color commentator Gus Johnson compared Ms. Clark to NBA stars Steph Curry and the late Pete Maravich. I almost instinctively replied. "Gus Johnson is full of crap! (but I didn't say 'crap.') She's Babe Ruth!" She's elevating interest in all women's sports, becoming a role model for young girls and an affirmation for any grown women who ever participated in sports at any level. I wish my mom, who played girls basketball for the Garrison, Iowa High School Rockets before World War II, was still around to see this. This is exactly what Dr. Christine Grant was hoping for when she brought Coach C. Vivian Stringer to Iowa more than 40 years ago and made the Hawkeyes a national power in short order with stars like Michelle "Ice" Edwards and Toni Foster.
That said, we're starting to see the boo birds who are calling Ms. Clark a gunner, that she's not as good as the great players who came before her, etc. etc. I would submit her assist numbers belie the first assertion (case in point: Hannah Stuelke's 48 points for Iowa vs. Penn State) and that Ms. Clark's success will only draw greater attention to the history of women's basketball.
Of course, the Hawkeyes had a setback at Nebraska Sunday, which will probably draw out fresh criticism. We'll see how Ms. Clark and the Hawks weather that. They've done admirably so far. Hemingway called courage "grace under pressure" and Ms. Clark and the Hawks have demonstrated it in abundance. I would implore folks to "not hate, appreciate." I as an Iowa State alum am VERY excited about freshman sensation Audie Crooks and am hoping maybe we'll see a CyHawk postseason tournament game. Our whole state will be a winner, no matter what the final score of such a contest might be.
Thanks! I was pretty certain I didn't just pull these comparisons out of thin air, but still. So it's nice to see the affirmation. I love watching Audie Crooks play. Between her and Hannah Stuelke, Iowans are in for a treat for a few years here. And yes, the haters ... they're everywhere.
I’m also fascinated by the fact that Clark has avoided injury, which happens to many super athletes. Also, I highly recommend listening to an Audie Crooks postgame interview. She has so much basketball knowledge and never misses an opportunity to credit an opponent. She is a class act.
Nothing but net, Jane. Well done. A friend told me that basketball color commentator Gus Johnson compared Ms. Clark to NBA stars Steph Curry and the late Pete Maravich. I almost instinctively replied. "Gus Johnson is full of crap! (but I didn't say 'crap.') She's Babe Ruth!" She's elevating interest in all women's sports, becoming a role model for young girls and an affirmation for any grown women who ever participated in sports at any level. I wish my mom, who played girls basketball for the Garrison, Iowa High School Rockets before World War II, was still around to see this. This is exactly what Dr. Christine Grant was hoping for when she brought Coach C. Vivian Stringer to Iowa more than 40 years ago and made the Hawkeyes a national power in short order with stars like Michelle "Ice" Edwards and Toni Foster.
That said, we're starting to see the boo birds who are calling Ms. Clark a gunner, that she's not as good as the great players who came before her, etc. etc. I would submit her assist numbers belie the first assertion (case in point: Hannah Stuelke's 48 points for Iowa vs. Penn State) and that Ms. Clark's success will only draw greater attention to the history of women's basketball.
Of course, the Hawkeyes had a setback at Nebraska Sunday, which will probably draw out fresh criticism. We'll see how Ms. Clark and the Hawks weather that. They've done admirably so far. Hemingway called courage "grace under pressure" and Ms. Clark and the Hawks have demonstrated it in abundance. I would implore folks to "not hate, appreciate." I as an Iowa State alum am VERY excited about freshman sensation Audie Crooks and am hoping maybe we'll see a CyHawk postseason tournament game. Our whole state will be a winner, no matter what the final score of such a contest might be.
Thanks! I was pretty certain I didn't just pull these comparisons out of thin air, but still. So it's nice to see the affirmation. I love watching Audie Crooks play. Between her and Hannah Stuelke, Iowans are in for a treat for a few years here. And yes, the haters ... they're everywhere.
I’m also fascinated by the fact that Clark has avoided injury, which happens to many super athletes. Also, I highly recommend listening to an Audie Crooks postgame interview. She has so much basketball knowledge and never misses an opportunity to credit an opponent. She is a class act.
I love watching her play!
I find myself recording the games that I can't watch live. I don't do that for any other basketball, men or womens.