I’d waited all season for this. Watching from courtside during the Seattle regional last weekend, I finally learned what the Caitlin Clark experience is all about. Dagger 3-pointers, of course. But also one-hand passes streaked to every corner of the court. Slithering dribble-drives past stunned defenders. And more rebounds and sprinting layups than I could count.
During Iowa’s 97-83 win over powerhouse Louisville in the round of 8, Clark dominated: 41 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.
“It felt pretty powerful,” Clark said after the game, smiling slyly.
Powerful.
That’s what the women’s game is right now. The popularity of a sport often rises on the strength of story, on narratives that propel the game forward and compel us to watch. This year’s N.C.A.A. tournament is loaded with them, along with the talent and high stakes that give those narratives meaning.
Yes, the Louisiana State women are exciting, with the do-it-all forward Angel Reese and a fiery, pink-boa-wearing coach, Kim Mulkey, whose outfits would make Elton John swoon. And who can root against a team as cohesive as Virginia Tech?
But there may not be a better story in sports than Clark vs. Aliyah Boston. This week Clark was named national player of the year, supplanting Boston, the 6-foot-5 forward who…
