MO SALAH became the first ever Liverpool player to strike 20 times or more in SEVEN consecutive seasons.

But if he could play against teams as bad as Sparta every week, the Egyptian would finish every campaign with 80 goals.

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Liverpool were thriving but the Czech champions were utterly hopeless as Jurgen Klopp’s four-way chasers romped to a ridiculously easy win.

Salah was joined in this latest Reds goal celebration by Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, Cody Gakpo (two) and Dominik Szoboszlai and if they really wanted to, Liverpool would have reached double figures.

It is difficult to remember a team as poor as Sparta in the knockout stages of any European tournament, and Liverpool know that today’s quarter-final draw will present much tougher opponents.

Klopp, who is now preparing to face Manchester United in the FA Cup on Sunday, had the luxury of taking off Nunez, Joe Gomez and Wataru Endo at half-time.

But the Liverpool manager was ultimately shown a yellow card after complaining that substitute Jarell Quansah was given a somewhat harsh booking.

Incredibly, Liverpool scored three goals in the space of three goals and twelve minutes and were 4-0 up after fourteen minutes.

The unmarked Nunez stroked Szobozlai’s pass into the corner in the seventh minute for his 17th of the season.

Just 68 seconds later, on his full European debut, Bobby Clark grabbed a second after making a suicidal pass over Sparta captain Ladislav Krejci’s goal.

CHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BETTS FOR THE FESTIVAL

Salah took his place in the Liverpool history books with a low shot from inside the penalty area after the effervescent Clark had collected the ball from Jaroslav Zeleny.

Gakpo ensured the front three all got their names on the scoresheet as he made it 4-0 for the first time after being picked out by Salah.

Despite their team playing poorly, the Czech fans made a lot of noise and at least had something to cheer about when Serbian striker Veljko Birmancevic squeezed a shot past Caoimhin Kelleher.

The second half was less than three minutes old when Szoboszlai’s shot, which seemed to go wide, was deflected into the net by Krejci.

Gakpo produced a clever move to guide Harvey Elliott’s shot past beleaguered keeper Peter Vindahkl, who will have nightmares in these two games against Liverpool.

Klopp made a debut for Polish 20-year-old attacking midfielder Mateusz Musialowski and the only surprise was captain Virgil van Dijk coming into danger in the 66th minute.

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Gold Coast influencer Kat Clark has sparked controversy again after launching her debut skincare line Kalade.

The mother-of-two, who has more than 6 million TikTok followers, launched the brand last month to great success, selling her entire stock within ten minutes.

However, not every customer is happy with Kalade’s advertising methods, thanks to a very rude photo of Kat posing with a box of skincare products next to her daughters Letisha, 20, and Deja, 12.

In the image, used to advertise the $120 Kalade ‘OG Kit’, Letisha and Deja are seen posing with their middle fingers pointed towards the camera.

On Sunday, Kalade’s Instagram page shared a photo of a customer’s online complaint about the ad, which read: “I hate this because the girls in the photo are giving the middle finger.”

Kalade replied by captioning the post with ‘Womp womp’ – a slang term used to respond to a minor disappointment or problem.

However, it seems some customers enjoyed her daughters’ decision to flip the bird, as another commenter wrote: ‘Omg Deja and Letisha middle finger [laughing/crying emoji]. I’m such a big fan’.

It comes after Kat raised eyebrows when she shared a video of herself crying after hearing that mega-influencer Anna Paul was about to launch her skincare brand Paullie at the same time as hers.

In the now viral video, which was uploaded last month, Kat broke down as she admitted she ‘felt like a failure’ and was ‘scared’ by the prospect of competing with Anna.

Unimpressed TikTok users have since labeled Kat’s video ’embarrassing’ and ‘cringe’, with one commenting: ‘That to me is selfishness and jealousy… can’t she be happy that others are successful? Ew.”

‘Right? Like, I love her, but she didn’t have to make a whole video about this,” one person agreed.

Yet another added: “Imagine a grown woman. A so-called CEO of a company, making a crying video because of other people’s business. What is happening to society?’

It was this comment that struck a chord with Kat, as she returned to TikTok days later with a video responding to the user who wrote the comment.

“You’ve probably seen the videos and comments of people mocking me for crying. People say I manipulate people, that I’m ashamed, that I fake cry,” Kat said angrily.

‘This is what I do. I share my life with you, and that’s exactly what I do in business. It’s just that I can only start posting about it now.’

Kat went on to point out that everyone – including CEOs – has feelings, and that she has every right to be emotional since she invested “all her money” and “remortgaged her house” to start her business .

“Imagine if you raised so much money to invest in something, and a month later someone has the same idea,” Kat said.

“I recorded that to maybe help other small business owners and let them know they’re not alone.”

However, it appears her concerns about launching her brand are unfounded as Kat revealed days later that her products were selling so quickly that she needed extra help.

‘Kalade is looking for new people. Temporary employment. Packing orders, assisting with customer emails, PA to Kat,” the brand posted on Instagram Stories.

Kat has also bragged about her brand’s sell-out success since then, posting a photo of her husband packing orders in their living room on Instagram Stories.

‘Packed until 1.30am and probably planning to do the same tonight [melting face emoji,’ she wrote. 

A day earlier, Kat had uploaded a video of herself and her daughters reacting to the news that Kalade’s entire product range had sold out within ten minutes of launching.  

Travis Kelce hopefully has a friendship bracelet for it Harry Clarkwho has been in the NFL star’s inner circle for years.

Harry tipped fans off about Travis’ trip to Singapore to visit his girlfriend Taylor Swift‘S Eras tour concert during her six-day residency. Clark shared a video of the Singapore skyline to his Instagram Story on Thursday, March 7, before the pair attended the concert.

Not only did Travis meet Harry in Asia, the friends traveled together in style. Harry shared several Instagram videos aboard a private jet with Travis’ co-manager André A Eanes, President, Co-Founder and Chief Business Officer of AA Management Group. Harry then posted a photo of the duo shopping during a stop at the Shoppes at Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. He later shared a video showing off the incredible views of Singapore from their sky-high suite atop one of the iconic hotel towers. The friends celebrated their international trip with music as he showed off some of Don Julio’s 1942 tequila shots being poured.

Keep reading to learn five things about Kelce’s good friend Clark.

Harry grew up in Ohio

It’s unclear how Harry and Travis met, but it appears they are old friends after meeting in their hometown of Cleveland.

Harry knows Taylor Swift

Harry has seemingly ended up in the “Karma” singer’s good graces. On February 13 he stated with the singer after the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers during Super Bowl LVIII in Las Vegas. In a photo posted to Harry’s Instagram, Taylor smiled with a glass of champagne as she causally leaned on his shoulder.

Harry has clearly become a Swiftie too. “Go, Tay Tay,” he captioned a video via his Instagram Stories on Thursday, March 7, while attending one of her shows in Singapore.

Harry is a sneakerhead

It’s no secret that Travis and those around him all have great style – and Harry is no exception. He regularly shows off his crazy shoes on social media and even has a highlight on his Instagram called ‘rare air’ where he documents unique and special Nike shoes.

Harry has a good relationship with the Kelce family

Travis’ sister-in-law, Kylie Kelcealso follows Harry on Instagram. Jason Kelce also previously followed him across multiple channels, but the retired NFL star has whittled his following down to just eight people on Instagram.

Harry has traveled a lot

From New York City to Los Angeles and everywhere in between, Harry loves travel and adventure. He regularly visits the hottest spots and clubs and jets across the country to support Travis during football season.

Last fall, representatives from Gainbridge, an Indiana-based annuities seller, reached out to Caitlin Clark’s marketing agents at Excel Sports Management to discuss a sponsorship deal. The company was launching a new product line and its executives believed Clark could help them reach younger customers.

Minji Ro, Gainbridge’s chief strategy officer, is also a longtime WNBA fan, and she knew that the Indiana Fever had a 44.2 percent chance of winning the WNBA lottery in December. Gainbridge holds the naming rights to the Fever’s arena, and Clark would be the presumptive No. 1 pick if she declared for the draft.

But Ro said that the company didn’t even discuss the decision with Clark during the months of negotiations that finally ended in February with a signed contract. Ultimately, Ro said, she didn’t care where Clark would play, whether it was in the WNBA or at the University of Iowa for one more season. She just wanted to be in the Caitlin Clark business.

“We were in no matter what,” Ro said. “Because that’s the power of Caitlin Clark. So she plays in Indiana, that’s great, but it doesn’t actually matter where she plays because she’s gonna sell out everywhere.”

When Clark finally declared for the draft last week, as had long been expected, she set an end date to her record-setting college career. The WNBA awaits, and the Fever won the No. 1 pick in December, putting them in prime position to land a player who is rising and who has shown herself to be a marketing powerhouse, with a sponsorship portfolio of blue chip companies and more than 1 million Instagram followers.

pic.twitter.com/9bd3w390Ka

— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 29, 2024

Laced throughout that lively conversation about what Clark can do for the league, there has also been fretful, speculative discussion of what the decision would mean for Clark financially, and if being in the WNBA would amount to a pay cut.

The consensus among a coterie of people involved in women’s basketball and involved with her directly is that Clark’s income, and her marketing potential, would not suffer once she jumps to the WNBA this summer. Instead, they say, she seems likely to surpass what she earned this season at Iowa.

“It’s a bad narrative,” WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said of the idea that Clark would be sacrificing by playing professionally.

“Pre-Caitlin Clark, I’ve been trying to correct the media that NIL deals, when they’re national sponsors like Caitlin and Angel Reese and Cameron Brink, those are just called endorsements in the pros. I just find it funny that nobody ever said this about LeBron James, or Michael Jordan who made a lot more money with their endorsements than they did in their salary in the NBA. Nobody ever said that. Now, all of a sudden, because it’s women’s sports, people are saying that. That’s absolutely untrue when you have these national brands.”

The dilemma is one that male college basketball players rarely have to reckon with. A job in the NBA usually comes with a multi-million dollar salary, and lucrative marketing deals for the top picks. But it has followed Clark, and other top women in college basketball, for the last three years as college athletes have been able to profit off their name, image and likeness rights. Today, the choice to head to the WNBA comes with a head-to-head comparison: a rookie pro salary and endorsement prospects versus the NIL income from local collectives and businesses associated with college sports.

While top NBA prospects often leave for the league as soon as possible, the choice for top women’s players lingers. Paige Bueckers, a projected top-3 pick, recently said she would return for a senior season at the University of Connecticut.

Clark, however, is in a class of her own. At a time when women’s sports is ascending, she is the rising tide lifting those boats even higher. She added two new national sponsors just this week and is expected to sign a new sneaker deal that will be one of the biggest in the WNBA, according to two people briefed on the situation.

Her marketing infrastructure has expanded in kind. This fall, she signed with Excel for marketing representation, sharing an agent with Peyton Manning, helping to pile up the endorsements.

Gainbridge rolled out her arrangement on Tuesday. She joins Billie Jean King and Annika Sörenstam in promoting the company’s latest annuities product for women. Panini said Wednesday that Clark is the first woman it has signed to an exclusive trading card deal.

Panini engaged Clark’s camp in October. Jason Howarth, Panini’s senior VP of marketing, said the two sides completed the contract more than a month ago but waited until the right time to announce it. It will take effect on April 1. Clark had previously had a deal with Topps.

“Caitlin is a transcendent athlete, and we think that she is going to be special whether she stayed at Iowa or whether she decided to go to the W,” Howarth said. “We were willing to commit to that. We knew exactly whatever her decision was, we’d be comfortable with it and we’d lean in on it and figure out what we’re going to do and how we’re going to present it.”

The most high-profile of her endorsements will keep her under contract past her Iowa days and into the start of her WNBA career. Her contracts with Gatorade and State Farm extend into her WNBA career, one person with knowledge of her marketing deals said.

Jeff Kearney, Gatorade’s head of sports marketing, said the company has a multi-year deal with Clark. A sponsorship deal with Hy-Vee, the grocery chain, will run past 2024, Tina Pothoff, Hy-Vee’s vice president of communications, said. State Farm did not respond to a message seeking comment. A spokesperson for Buick replied after initial publication to note that it does not currently have a sponsorship deal with Clark, though it did previously feature her social media campaign.

“It’s gonna be harder,” Kearney said. “You know the competition is going to be tougher. Players are faster. The players are better. But again, I think she has an it-factor and is driven to succeed. So it certainly doesn’t change the approach that we have of trying to celebrate this phenomenal athlete and tell her story. It doesn’t matter what jersey she has on.”

Though many of her deals will continue to run, she is on the precipice of making even more money than she did this season at Iowa. Clark did not take any money from Iowa’s main collective, according to the Wall Street Journal.

She will make a salary in the WNBA — the No. 1 pick is guaranteed $76,535 in her first season — unlike at Iowa. She can also avail herself of up to $250,000 in a league marketing deal and up to $100,000 in a team marketing contract if she eschews playing abroad next offseason, or she can sign what is likely to be a high-paying contract to play for a team in Europe or China.

She has a deal with Nike, which is one of the WNBA’s financial partners as part of its Changemakers program. The league often pushes those companies to use its stars in marketing campaigns, especially those who have a league marketing deal. Some have signed individual endorsement deals after the league’s run out, and Engelbert said other companies could soon get financially involved.

“I suspect we’ll have some of our huge partners step up here too as huge players come in with the followership,” she said.

One WNBA agent was strident that Clark, or any top player entering the league, would make more as a professional.

“If you’re the right type of talent, it doesn’t matter if you’re in college, the pros, in Indiana, L.A.” the agent said. “All these things help, of course. It’s not that you have to take a pay cut to go pro.”

Engelbert pointed out that several WNBA players, like A’ja Wilson, Jewell Lloyd and Arike Ogunbowale already have sizable endorsement deals.

Clark will still retain her large Instagram following, and her fan base from Iowa will likely continue to root for her. A new city — Indianapolis — will adopt her. Clark has also become such a nationally beloved brand that her marketing potential is not constrained by one market.

The most significant new business opportunity is likely to be her upcoming sneaker and apparel free agency. Clark’s deal with Nike will end after the conclusion of this college basketball season, a person briefed on the deal confirmed, a detail first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

Though Clark was with Nike in college, her market was likely muted compared to what she could draw as a pro, industry insiders said. Iowa already had an apparel deal with Nike, so Clark was going to wear those sneakers on the court regardless of any individual deal she signed. And she would have been unable to wear the sneakers of another company for her record-setting feats if she signed with a company other than Nike. (LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson has a Puma endorsement even though the school wears Nike, but she cannot wear them when she plays for the Tigers.)

Clark will be unconstrained in the WNBA and she is expected to draw a significant contract for the upcoming WNBA season. Nike, Adidas and others are expected to pursue her. Multiple sources with knowledge of the sneaker industry said Clark is set to sign a deal for more than $1 million annually, which would be one of the richest among WNBA players.

“She’ll be regarded as one of the greatest gets of all time for the brand that gets her,” one sneaker company executive said.

The Nike spot marking Caitlin Clark passing Pete Maravich’s NCAA career scoring record: pic.twitter.com/hRyb0sLrsZ

— Rachel Bachman (@Bachscore) March 3, 2024

Sara Gotfredson, who was once a marketing and sales executive at ESPN and Disney, said that brands have been shy to deploy money on NIL deals compared with what they spend in endorsements for professionals.

But some women’s college basketball players may see their popularity, and earning power, peak during those years, with a dedicated collective and local businesses ready to engage them in a market where they are one of its top athletes, then lower profiles when they reach the WNBA. That will not be true for Clark, said Gotfredson, who is now a co-founder of Trailblazing Sports Group.

“The NCAA is a great springboard for these athletes, and especially for such a superstar like Caitlin Clark,” she said. “But I don’t subscribe to the theory that the NCAA is sort of the pinnacle of these women’s careers. I think if anything she’s going to get more visibility, more brand deals, gain more popularity in the W.”

There has been little concern among her sponsors that Clark will become less marketable when she gets to the WNBA. Instead, there is intrigue and optimism that she may be able to help the league.

While ratings have improved in the WNBA over the last few seasons, they have gone up even higher in college basketball. Last year’s NCAA Tournament championship game between Iowa and LSU averaged 9.9 million viewers and was the most watched women’s college basketball game ever. The Iowa–South Carolina semifinal game drew 5.5 million viewers. WNBA Finals games last season averaged 728,000 viewers.

Attendance at her games has regularly trumped WNBA games as well. The league averaged 6,615 fans per game last season — a five-year high — while Iowa averaged 100.7 percent capacity at home with 14,998 fans per game, according to NCAA data, the second-highest in women’s college basketball. The Hawkeyes drew 55,651 fans to the school’s football stadium in October for an exhibition game — the largest attendance for a college basketball game this season — and three of the other eight most well-attended women’s college basketball games this season were at road arenas when Iowa visited Big Ten opponents.

Clark, and Iowa, have been a ratings machine this season as she chased college scoring records. Three Iowa games have been among the top 10 most-watched college basketball games this season, men’s or women’s. Sunday’s regular-season finale drew 3.39 million viewers — the sixth-highest viewership for a basketball game this season, including the NBA. A Fox executive tweeted Tuesday that women’s college basketball games have averaged more viewers than men’s games on the network this season.

Kearney said in his discussions with Engelbert, there is already interest in how often and when Clark’s games will air on nationally televised broadcasts. When she joins the WNBA, Clark will be just one of three WNBA players with a Gatorade endorsement. Engelbert has stressed to its marketing and broadcast partners that the league is trying to create household names and asks for their help, but with Clark they are getting a ready-made star.

“It’s one of those things where you get an athlete like this who is doing things that are maybe extraordinary isn’t the right word, but the people are paying attention — male, female, old young,” Kearney said. “That’s gonna carry over if she keeps doing what she’s doing. People are gonna tune in and you’re gonna see the numbers rise.”

(Top photo of Caitlin Clark: Matthew Holst / Getty Images)

It is our honor to appoint Caitlin Clark The Athletics‘s Player of the Year is no surprise to anyone.

Any media outlet or organization that does not crown her national player of the year would be committing basketball’s version of heresy. From little kids to grandparents and the generations in between, they know about Clark’s record-setting season and her penchant for photos that sometimes look like they were launched from the moon.

Caitlin Clark’s mythology is growing – and will become even more legendary if she takes Iowa to the national championship game again. Her wow-factor recordings have turned casual viewers into not only Iowa diehards, but women’s basketball fans as well. Clark was impossible to ignore, but somehow the greater her stardom and seemingly underappreciated, the nuances in her performance became beyond the razzle-dazzle.

Clark leads the nation with 32.7 points per game (a category she has led in three of her four seasons), while she also ranks first with 8.7 assists per game (a category she has led in recent led nationally for three seasons). She makes the most three-pointers per game with 5.4 (a category she also led last season), but her seven defensive rebounds per game puts her in the 95th percentile of players. Her win shares and player efficiency score top the charts according to HerHoopsStats.

Why Clark is the best player in the country is undoubtedly based on her phenomenal skills that we have rarely seen in the sport. She does it so well that she floods fans’ memories with highlights.

But when we voted for our Player of the Year — admittedly, an easy vote with no debate this season — we asked our women’s basketball experts a tougher question. What stood out most about Clark’s memorable season?

Precision passing

As much fun as I had watching Clark launch 3s from the logo, I need an assist for this. I’ve had the chance to see her in person three times this season and each time I walk away saying, ‘Television may give people an idea of ​​Clark as a shooter, but it doesn’t even tell you how good she is as a passer.’ To truly understand her vision and her ability to find these wire windows, you need to be able to see the entire field, not the sections selected by a camera operator. It looks easy to watch Clark make 18-yard passes in transition, or watch her send an absolute rocket through four defenders, it will never get old. This particular assist is the one that made Clark the Big Ten leader in assists, so it feels fitting to have a pass that fully showcases her vision, precision and execution here. Plus, nice finish, Hannah Stuelke. I’m going to miss that connection next year. Watch the pass after 51 seconds here:

– Chantel Jennings

The dazzling star

Even after watching Clark lead the Hawkeyes to the national title game, I don’t think I understood the magnitude of what she would mean for college basketball until early this season, when Iowa faced Virginia Tech in Charlotte. Witnessing more than 15,000 fans at a neutral site, living and dying at every turn of a non-conference game, was all the necessary proof that Clark would be a phenomenon wherever she went this year. And of course, she delivered a masterpiece on national television, with 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The list of power conference players who scored 44 points in a game this year? JuJu Watkins, Hannah Stuelke and Caitlin Clark, who’ve done it three times…and counting. By the way, the other two together provided three assists in their matches.

On a night when Virginia Tech superstar Georgia Amoore scored 31 points of his own, Hokies coach Kenny Brooks was realistic about what it meant to face Clark. “I love my girls,” he said, “but sometimes you play checkers and she plays chess. She is that good.” Since then, she has dazzled audiences – and opposing coaches.

– Sabreena Trader

The logo3s

Clark said it herself: How else could she cement her place in history and set the all-time NCAA women’s record than with a logo 3? Her triple, during Iowa’s fifth possession against Michigan on Feb. 15, gave Clark the all-time record and drew raucous ovations in a sold-out Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the most fitting way for her to make history, and it was made all the more impressive by the fact that it took her just 2:22 to score 8 points and pass former Washington star Kelsey Plum. That evening, Clark would record a career-high and program record 49 points in the Hawkeyes’ 106-89 win, putting on a masterful showcase that punctuated the evening’s occasion. “What she has done to improve our program and women’s basketball nationally is spectacular,” Iowa coach Lisa Bluder said afterward. Clark’s passing is undeniably superb – in terms of flair and accuracy – but Clark will primarily go down as one of the very best scorers (and shooters) in the history of college basketball, men’s or women’s. Perhaps the very best. I could then have picked any number of moments when she put the ball in the basket: her game-winning 3-pointer against Michigan State, her 3-pointer against Minnesota to pass Lynette Woodard, her free throws to put Pete Maravich over, etc. .—but perhaps no series embodies her greatness and drive as well as the way she passed over Plum.

You’re kidding @caitlinclark22 X #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/afOSOY70Ku

— Iowa women’s basketball (@IowaWBB) February 16, 2024

– Ben Pickman

POY vote count

(Photo by Caitlin Clark: Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

After rewriting the collegiate record book during four seasons at Iowa, Caitlin Clark announced Thursday that she will enter the upcoming WNBA Draft and forgo the opportunity to return to the Hawkeyes for a fifth year.

Clark’s decision, which comes just days before Iowa’s final home game of the regular season against No. 2 Ohio State, loomed over both college and professional play in recent weeks as they took on both the women’s NCAA Division I and the put women’s basketball on the map for major universities. scoring records.

“This season is far from over and we have many more goals to achieve,” she said in an announcement on social media on Thursday. Still, Clark paved the way to become the No. 1 pick in the April draft for the Indiana Fever. Her professional debut is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated in WNBA history.

From her first game with the Hawkeyes in 2020, Clark’s impact was evident. She scored 27 points in 26 minutes in her collegiate debut, displaying the offensive brilliance that has become commonplace during her career in Iowa City. She recorded the only 40-point triple-double in NCAA Tournament history and is the only player in the NCAA era to record 3,000 points, 750 rebounds and 750 assists. She set program records for single-game scoring (49) and career points, with 3,650 points, while leading the Hawkeyes to two conference tournament championships and their first Final Four berth since 1993. Her team lost to Louisiana State in the NCAA finals. last season.

“It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who supported me during my time at Iowa – my teammates, who have made the best of the last four years; my coaches, trainers and staff who always let me be myself,” Clark said. “Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came to support us across the country, especially the young children.

pic.twitter.com/9bd3w390Ka

— Caitlin Clark (@CaitlinClark22) February 29, 2024

“The most important thing is that none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been by my side through it all. Thanks to all of you, my dreams came true.”

Beyond all the counting stats, Clark’s impact can be seen and felt in the frenzy surrounding every game she plays. Of the Hawkeyes’ 32 regular-season games this season, 30 sold out or set attendance records for women’s basketball — the exceptions being Iowa’s neutral-court games during a Thanksgiving tournament. Before Thursday’s announcement, the average ticket price for Iowa’s home finale against the Buckeyes was already expected to be more than $555, according to TickPick, making it the most expensive women’s basketball game ever. That value should only increase following news of her decision. Clark’s presence has also generated record ratings, as she and Iowa participated in the most-watched women’s basketball game ever on six different networks.

The 6-foot-4 guard entered her senior season saying she was going to “treat this year like it’s my last year.” She said she would decide based on her feelings whether she would stay in Iowa City or turn pro. With an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she vowed not to let the choice of whether to stay or go weigh on her. She underscored that Thursday, while still saying she was excited about what was to come. Clark currently leads the nation in points (32.2) and assists (8.7) per game, and is favored to take home Player of the Year honors for the second consecutive season.

In mid-December, when the Fever learned they would have the No. 1 pick for the second straight year, general manager Lin Dunn acknowledged that numerous potential draftees who had the option to return to school “left a little bit of a question as to who we had to be’. could get.” But Dunn said she would encourage any players who could go to the WNBA to go to the W. “I’m ready for them to come out, go to the pros, move on with their lives, let someone else play. I encourage them all to come out,” Dunn said.

No. 1

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) February 29, 2024

Dunn, and those with the Fever, are undoubtedly euphoric about the opportunity to add Clark to their roster alongside 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, who was the league’s unanimous Rookie of the Year last summer. “I think how versatile she is,” Boston said The Athletics earlier this season about what makes Clark special. “Just her vision on the field. I think that’s super important, and I think she’s just doing a great job with that at Iowa.

Indiana, which has won just 18 games over the past two seasons combined, is looking to make its first postseason appearance since 2016 and break the league’s longest active playoff drought. In the immediate aftermath of Clark’s decision, the team’s social media accounts sent out a message reminding fans that season tickets were available, and urging them to “jump on board.” Fever watcher Erica Wheeler said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, that she was already fielding requests from friends and family, as well as some people she hadn’t heard from in a long time who wanted tickets. ‘I can’t help them’ she said.

Clark has already worked with major brands like Gatorade, Nike and State Farm, and her national platform will travel with her from Iowa to Indiana. The WNBA will also benefit from her presence. In its 27th season last summer, the league reached more than 36 million viewers across all national networks, a 27 percent increase from 2022 and the highest since 2008. The league’s All-Star Game was the most watched in 16 years, and the 2023 WNBA Finals, featuring the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, was the most watched in two decades. Clark’s arrival, which will officially take place on Monday, April 15, when the draft takes place in Brooklyn, will likely only accelerate that trend and interest in the sport.

“It’s great for women’s basketball. It will be great for the WNBA if she gets in. Her play will translate,” said Becky Hammon, a Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer and the coach of the two-time defending champion Aces. The Athletics mid-January. ‘She’s special. She is generational.”

The Athletics James Boyd contributed to this report.

Required reading

(Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

Caitlin Clark's transcendent play, from her signature three-point shooting to her unique skills as a come-ahead passer, has captivated basketball fans from Maine to California. A question that often comes up is how her game will translate to the next level. In a extensive interview of 60 minutes which will air in full on the 'Sports Media Podcast' on Thursday, WNBA legend Sue Bird said Clark can become a WNBA All-Star in her freshman year.

“I think if she reaches her potential, that is indeed realistic,” Bird said. “And that's not a knock on anyone in the WNBA, by the way. It's going to be hard, but I think she can do it. You have to see what happens when they get there. You're playing against adults now and this is their career. But I do think she has a chance to have a lot of success early, and I think a lot of it is due to her long-range shooting. That's her separator. You're not really used to guarding people out there.”

Bird went on to say that the era Clark finds herself in complements her playing style. Another WNBA legend, Diana Taurasi, “could have played like Caitlin is playing now,” Bird said, but didn't mature in an era to play like Clark is playing now.

Players in the WNBA just aren't used to guarding shooters that far, Bird said. Bird retired in 2022 after a 20-year WNBA career.

Clark has the option of returning to Iowa next year because of the extra year of eligibility thanks to an NCAA waiver for student-athletes affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. But if she chooses to go pro and is selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 pick, “that's a really good selection for her,” Bird said.

“She'll immediately team up with two really good post players (Aliyah Boston and NaLyssa Smith) who will complement her,” Bird continued. “There's a precedent for people coming out of college and coming in and playing great, players like Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart, Maya Moore, Diana Taurasi and others. But she still has to come in and do it and there will be some growing pains, just like all those players I just mentioned.

Bird spent time with Clark in Iowa City last December as part of an episode of hers ESPN+ Original Series,“Sue's Places,” a 10-episode college basketball travelogue produced in association with Omaha Productions and Words + Pictures, features Bird shooting across the country to learn about the history and traditions of college basketball. (The Clark episode ran on February 14). The fourth-ranked Hawkeyes play at No. 14 Indiana on Thursday night (8 p.m. ET, Peacock).

When asked why Clark had captured the imagination of the broader basketball audience during her time at Iowa, Bird said it was a combination of her long-range shooting and being one of the faces of women's basketball in such an emerging time.

“There are two that stand out the most about her, and let's start with her long-range shooting,” Bird said. “The only thing that negates people's obsession with dunking when it comes to comparing men's and women's basketball is deep shooting. If we want to call it logo 3, let's call it that. For whatever reason, men especially, don't hate it. There's nothing to hate on because it is what it is. So I think part of her game is making people cheer for it. I think it's fascinating too, right? The way she plays with long-distance shooting is fascinating. Everyone is interested in it. So that's part of it.”

Bird added: “I think the other part is that women's basketball is having a moment and it needed someone to work with at that time. So Caitlin, based on the year she was born and doing what she's doing now in college, is uniquely positioned to take advantage of this moment. There are other players in college basketball right now that you can feel excitement about. JuJu Watkins is doing great at USC and could be one of the best players ever. I don't say that loosely; it's because of the way she starts her career.

Clark's decision on whether to leave Iowa has become a major debate in the sports media and among sports fans. Recently, former WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes discussed that potential newcomers like Clark and LSU's Angel Reese will need time to develop in the WNBA because it is a veteran league.

When asked what she would do if she were Clark, Bird didn't hesitate.

“If I'm Caitlin Clark, I'm from college,” Bird said.

Required reading

(Photo: Morgan Engel/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

During Caitlin Clark's three-plus seasons at Iowa, she has regularly sprinted toward and past whatever was in front of her. Often that means blowing past defenders on the way to layups at the rim. Sometimes she runs around screens and away from opponents to create space for catch-and-shoot 3s. Since the start of the season, Clark has had her eye on former Washington star Kelsey Plum's NCAA women's basketball record of 3,527 points. “(She came) ready to knock it down,” Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder told the Big Ten Network last week. “This has not been a burden on her.”

Heading into Thursday's No. 4 Iowa game against Michigan, Clark had averaged a nation-leading 33.8 points in her last five games. History didn't seem to bother her.

Time and time again, as Clark passed opponents on the field and contemporaries in the record book, she rose from 3rd to the occasion. When she became the all-time NCAA women's basketball leading scorer on Thursday, she did so in a 49-point performance that set a new career-high and Iowa record. Now that she holds the NCAA scoring title with 3,569 points, her chase to the top will be remembered for her sheer dominance and unparalleled consistency. “What she has done to improve our program and women's basketball nationally is spectacular,” Bluder said after the Hawkeyes' 106-89 victory.

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During Clark's freshman season, her three-point ability was immediately apparent. In 30 games, she made 116 shots from behind the arc, more than double that of any of her teammates. According to CBB Analytics, Clark also knocked down 22 more 3s above the break in the 2020-2021 season than any other player in the country, shooting nearly half of her field goal attempts from that range.

Clark plays in a fast-paced system and is encouraged to shoot wherever and whenever she feels comfortable. In each of the past three seasons, she has accounted for more than 30 percent of Iowa's total shot attempts. By comparison, career top-five prospects Kelsey Mitchell and Brittney Griner both made about 26 percent of their team's shots during their senior seasons. Last year's second-leading Big Ten scorer (behind Clark), Mackenzie Holmes, accounted for just 21.6 percent of Indiana's total field goal attempts.

Clark's success from deep has been integral to her success. Of the four other players in the NCAA's top five, only Mitchell (2014-18) scored more points than 3. Still, Clark's point totals, like Plum's, reflect a balanced repertoire. The 6-foot-4 Iowa guard has made nearly 40 percent of her points from 2 and just over 40 percent from behind the arc.

Clark is a threat just about anywhere on the floor. Consider that she entered Thursday as a career 42.4 percent shooter on the right wing 3s — the national average from there last season was 30.6 percent, according to CBB Analytics — while also shooting nearly 40 percent on the left baseline 2s — something less than 10 percent above the national average in 2023. Even around the rim, she's more productive than her peers, shooting 66.1 percent in her career en route to Iowa's most recent win, compared to the Division I's 57.1 percent a year ago. “Almost everyone wants to talk about her long shot,” assistant coach Abby Stamp said. “We're a little more dimensional in the way we look at her game.”

Excluding Clark's production around the basket, the second-highest percentage of her points come from the left wing. From there, she often creates space for her defenders on step-back leaning triples.

As Clark's career progressed, her playing created a buzz. According to Vivid Seats, the average ticket price for Iowa road games this season is almost $108. Of the Hawkeyes' 32 regular season games this season, 30 have either sold out or set attendance records for women's basketball. The only exceptions were Iowa's neutral-court games during a Thanksgiving tournament.

While Clark has seemingly lit up every foe she has faced – only once in her 126 career games has she scored fewer than 10 points – there is no opponent she has dominated as much as Nebraska. After last Sunday's game, in which she finished with 31 points, she has scored a total of 309 points against the Cornhuskers, the most against a single foe. Her success against conference contenders Indiana (226 points) and Ohio State (203 points) reinforces her greatness against the conference's top competition. Unsurprisingly, Clark also did well against Michigan, despite playing in just her fifth game against the Wolverines on Thursday. She entered the record-breaking game averaging 34.8 points against the Wolverines, her highest per-game average against an opponent she has played at least three times. That average only increased when she achieved 49 points.

In addition to Big Ten schools, Clark has scored more than 100 points against three other conferences. In particular, she has performed well against the Missouri Valley Conference schools. Of her 325 career points against MVC opponents, 102 have come against Northern Iowa. Clark has scored 93 points at Drake, located in nearby Des Moines. Following a similar theme, Iowa State is the Big 12 opponent she has scored the most against (114).

Stamp applauds Clark for her commitment to Iowa's conditioning, nutrition and strength programs, which are often overlooked as keys to her success. “I think she deserves a lot of credit for the way she's handled that, and the way she's treated her body and really thinks about herself in a professional way,” Stamp said. Clark has remained durable and has never missed a game. She has also averaged at least 33 minutes per game each season. Combined with her availability and her ability to play longer minutes, Clark has created an opportunity for much of what she has earned.

After Thursday's game, 799 of Clark's 1,171 field goals were made unassisted, with teammates getting an assist on only 372 baskets.

Given the experience on Iowa's roster, it's not exactly surprising that sixth-year senior forward Kate Martin Clark has the most assists. Fifth-year guard Gabbie Marshall has played four seasons at Clark and has opened up her defensive mate for shots.

Clark could take advantage of a COVID-19 eligibility rule and return to college for a fifth season. Doing so would create even more distance from Plum and the rest of her peers, potentially creating an insurmountable margin for future generations to absorb. Seven years passed between Clark and Plum setting the record, but if Clark turns pro, it might not be that long before a new standard is set. USC freshman guard JuJu Watkins is averaging 27.7 points per game – up from Clark's freshman average of 26.6. Could another record hunt be on the horizon?

(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletics; Data images: Drew Jordan / The Athletics; Photos of Caitlin Clark: Greg Fiume/Getty Images)

Rylan Clark barstte in tranen uit toen hij zijn vriendin Lucy Spraggan hielp nadat ze in 2012 was verkracht toen ze meedeed aan The X Factor.

Het tweetal werd gezien als de 'wilde' sterren van de ITV-show en zou als straf zijn verbannen naar een hotel weg van de andere deelnemers nadat ze 'uitbraken' uit het luxe hotel in Londen waar ze werden gehuisvest.

Vorig jaar onthulde de 32-jarige Lucy dat ze de show verliet toen ze werd verkracht door een portier in haar hotelkamer na het 25e verjaardagsfeestje van mededeelnemer Rylan, waar het personeel en de zangers 'gratis alcohol' kregen – wat uiteindelijk leidde tot Lucy die bewusteloos raakte.

Na ruim tien jaar stil te hebben gehouden over de kwestie, barstte de 35-jarige Rylan in tranen uit terwijl hij de nasleep beschreef in een gesprek met De Bewaker, bekent: ‘Ik word emotioneel. Dat was echt een hele zware tijd. Het was verschrikkelijk en ik heb er nog steeds niet over gesproken, omdat het niet mijn verhaal is om te vertellen, ook al maakte ik er deel van uit.'

Als eerste persoon die Lucy vertelde over de aanrandingen, speelde Rylan een cruciale rol bij het veiligstellen van de veroordeling van Lucy's verkrachter, het veiligstellen van de plaats delict door te voorkomen dat de dienstmeisjes binnenkwamen en door bewijs te leveren aan de politie.

Terugkijkend op het incident zei hij: 'Als 24-jarige – het was de avond van mijn verjaardag – werd ik wakker met je vriend die zei: 'Ik ben gisteravond verkracht', terwijl ik op de grootste show van het land was. terwijl je overal door de pers wordt gevolgd… Ik weet niet hoe ik het heb gedaan.

'Ik weet niet wat er is gebeurd. Lucy noemt mij Jessica Fletcher omdat ik Angela Lansbury heb bezocht.'

Na de aanvallen kreeg Lucy uit voorzorg PEP voorgeschreven, een medicijn dat, als het binnen de eerste 72 uur na de seks wordt ingenomen, de verspreiding van HIV kan stoppen, maar daardoor voelde ze zich te ziek om door te gaan met zingen in de show.

Rylan onthulde dat het productieteam hem ook een week vrij van het programma had aangeboden, maar hij had het gevoel dat Lucy onder vuur zou komen te liggen als de twee 'wilde' in de show dezelfde week vrij zouden zijn.

Terugkijkend op de publieke vijandigheid jegens hem toen hij meedeed aan de show, peinsde Rylan: 'Veel mensen beoordeelden mij toen ik in The X Factor zat. P***k. Idioot.

'En ik veronderstel dat, vanuit een egoïstisch perspectief, iemand die dit al die jaren leest, ik denk: 'Fuck you, klootzak. Je had geen f**king-idee. Jij. Had. Nee. F **koning. Idee.”

'Ik moest op het podium staan ​​voor twaalf miljoen mensen die f**king Madonna zongen terwijl ik verkleed was als dragqueen, terwijl ik daarmee bezig was. Ik hoop dat jullie je schamen, klootzakken.'

Lucy vertelde eerder hoe ze zich ‘in de steek gelaten’ voelde door ITV toen ze uitlegde waarom ze na de aanvallen abrupt de show moest verlaten.

Ze was op 20-jarige leeftijd gescout voor de competitie, nadat ze eerder als optredende artiest had gewerkt.

Door de brutale aanval kon ze de show niet voortzetten vanwege sterke bijwerkingen van PEP-medicatie (post-exposure profylaxe).

Rylan betoonde zijn steun aan zijn vriend in een podcast die vorig jaar werd uitgebracht en zei tegen Lucy: 'Ik heb het gevoel dat je van een enorme kans bent beroofd en ik denk daar veel over na, omdat je zo'n talent bent, en ik zal dat nooit doen. vergeet dat jaar.

'Ik weet nog dat ik dacht dat ze speciaal was, dat meisje, en dat dat van je werd weggenomen, terwijl het op geen enkele manier iets met jou te maken had, ik was doodsbang voor je.'

Hij voegde eraan toe: ‘Vanuit een niet-egoïstisch standpunt durf ik niet te denken aan wat er zou gebeuren als je alleen was en als je dit alleen zou moeten oplossen.

'Wij waren de enige twee die er deel van uitmaakten en ja, het was moeilijk, het was moeilijk om er allemaal mee om te gaan.'

The X Factor was Lucy's grote doorbraak en ze werd de eerste deelnemer die een instrument bespeelde en haar eigen nummer Last Night zong tijdens haar auditie, die dat jaar de vierde meest bekeken video ter wereld werd.

Maar slechts vier weken na de liveshows moest ze zich terugtrekken na de aanval.

Ze vertelde het eerder aan de Voogd hoe een lid van het productieteam de zangeres vanuit de nachtclub Mayfair Mahiki terug naar het hotel begeleidde, waar een hotelportier aanbood Lucy veilig naar haar kamer terug te brengen.

Maar toen het personeelslid haar kamer verliet, zou de portier handmatig hebben voorkomen dat de kamer automatisch op slot ging.

Zij en Rylan waren naar verluidt naar het hotel aan Edgware Road gestuurd, weg van Corinthia, waar de show gewoonlijk de artiesten huisvestte, met 24-uursbeveiliging.

Lucy beschreef hoe ze geloofde dat dit deel uitmaakte van hun 'verhaallijn' voor de show, waarin ze bekend stonden om hun feesten en laat uitblijven.

Enige tijd later kwam Rylan terug bij het hotel en checkte in bij zijn mededeelnemer – van cruciaal belang om er vervolgens voor te zorgen dat haar deur op slot was voordat hij haar in slaap liet.

Dit betekende dat de portier vervolgens een traceerbare sleutelkaart moest gebruiken om de kamer binnen te komen en de verkrachting te plegen, legde ze uit.

De volgende dag werd Lucy wakker en wist meteen dat er iets mis was.

Ze zei: ‘Ik werd de volgende dag wakker met een gevoel van pure angst.

'Ik denk niet dat ik sindsdien ooit zoveel verwarring heb gevoeld. Ik wist dat ik verkracht was, maar ik kon dat niet verwerken. Dus trok ik mijn kleren aan en ging op de automatische piloot.'

Nadat ze het aan Rylan had verteld, die ze beschrijft als een fervent pleitbezorger voor haar, werd het productiepersoneel op de hoogte gebracht en werd de politie gebeld.

Lucy zei dat ze duidelijk wilde maken waarom ze plotseling was gestopt met The X Factor, maar beweert dat verschillende mensen haar hebben aangemoedigd dat niet te doen.

Ze gaf toe dat ze gefrustreerd was door het gebrek aan nazorg die ze kreeg toen ze de wedstrijd verliet, want hoewel ze naar verluidt in de onmiddellijke nasleep medische en financiële steun kreeg, zegt ze dat ze na het proces geen steun had.

Lucy schreef in haar memoires: 'Niemand heeft ooit contact met mij opgenomen om te vragen of alles in orde was. Niemand belde of e-mailde toen het proces voorbij was en hij werd veroordeeld. Niemand bood mij revalidatie of een doorlopende behandeling in de geestelijke gezondheidszorg aan. Ik was alleen.'

De man achter de aanval bekende tijdens de rechtszaak schuldig te zijn en werd veroordeeld tot 10 jaar gevangenisstraf, waardoor de zanger het trauma van de verkrachting niet opnieuw hoefde te beleven in de getuigenbank.

Maar ze beweert dat ze 'geluk' had dat haar verkrachter voor het gerecht werd gebracht – omdat haar vriendin voor haar zorgde: 'Ik heb geluk omdat Rylan die deur heeft dichtgedaan.'

Een woordvoerder van ITV zei: ‘We hebben het diepste medeleven met Lucy en alles wat ze heeft doorstaan ​​als resultaat van deze gruwelijke beproeving. Wij prijzen haar veerkracht en moed.

'The X Factor werd geproduceerd door Thames en Syco, die primair verantwoordelijk waren voor de zorgplicht jegens alle programmabijdragers.

'ITV zet zich als opdrachtgevende omroeporganisatie in voor het opzetten van geschikte en robuuste toezichtsprocedures, met als doel ervoor te zorgen dat onafhankelijke producenten de juiste processen toepassen om de geestelijke gezondheid en het welzijn van deelnemers te beschermen.

'We blijven onze eigen zorgplichtprocessen ontwikkelen voor de programma's die we produceren om ervoor te zorgen dat er passende maatregelen zijn getroffen om bijdragers voor, tijdens en na het filmen te ondersteunen. Bij een gebeurtenis van zo'n schrijnende aard zouden welzijn en steun aan het slachtoffer altijd de hoogste prioriteit hebben.'

Een woordvoerder van het productiebedrijf achter de show, Fremantle, voegde hieraan toe: 'De ernstige aanranding van Lucy Spraggan in oktober 2012 was een werkelijk gruwelijke criminele daad waarvoor de dader, die niet verbonden was met het programma, terecht werd vervolgd en gevangengezet. .

'Iedereen zou zich veilig moeten voelen als hij in een hotelkamer slaapt – en het is weerzinwekkend om te bedenken dat een hotelportier dat vertrouwen op zo'n gemene manier heeft misbruikt.

'Voor zover wij weten was de aanval een gebeurtenis zonder precedent in de Britse televisie-industrie.

'Hoewel we de hele tijd geloofden dat we ons best deden om Lucy te steunen in de nasleep van de beproeving, moeten we dit daarom erkennen, omdat Lucy denkt dat we meer hadden kunnen doen. Het spijt ons enorm voor alles wat Lucy heeft geleden.

'Sindsdien hebben we ons uiterste best gedaan om lessen te trekken uit deze gebeurtenissen en onze nazorgprocessen te verbeteren.

'Hoewel we hard hebben gewerkt om Lucy's levenslange recht op anonimiteit te beschermen, juichen we haar kracht en moed toe nu ze ervoor heeft gekozen afstand te doen van dat recht.'

Informatie en ondersteuning voor iedereen die getroffen is door verkrachting of seksueel misbruik is verkrijgbaar bij Rape Crisis op 0808 500 2222.