CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Spectrum Center is nearly 1,000 miles away from Iowa City, Iowa, yet there was an abundance of black and gold No. 22 jerseys among the crowd of 15,196 on hand to see a No. 3 Iowa take on No. 8 Virginia Tech on Thursday night.
Yes, the contingent of Hokies fans made their presence felt, but in its totality, the atmosphere was a result of the Caitlin Clark effect.
In a game where there was plenty of star power, it was Clark’s star that shone brightest. The reigning consensus National Player of the Year finished with 44 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Hawkeyes to a four-point win.
The Caitlin Clark show. Filling up arenas across the country 🔥 pic.twitter.com/d9256bElK4
— WSLAM (@wslam) November 10, 2023
As crazy as it may sound, the stats weren’t the most impressive part of Clark’s showing.
Let me be clear: it’s no small feat to score 40 points in any game, let alone a college one that features four 10-minute quarters. And while playing in all 40 minutes of a game against a top-10 opponent, Clark managed to score 44 points despite having what many would consider to be an off night for her.
MORE: Where Caitlin Clark ranks among top 10 women’s college basketball players in 2023-24
Beyond the scoring, however, was Clark’s…
