Iowa State's Caitlin Clark, who became the NCAA women's college basketball leading scorer on Thursday night, has had a diverse impact on the sport, Louisville coach Jeff Walz said Friday.
“Congratulations, Caitlin,” Ms. Walz said. “He's a great person and a great player.”
Walz praised Clark's shot-making ability and emphasized his effort in each game.
“She's an elite scorer, an elite shooter, but I believe she's also an elite passer. That's what sets her apart from other players,” Clark said in 2019 when he joined Team USA's U19 FIBA said Walz, who coached him briefly while playing on the team.
Women's basketball continues to grow
Last season's NCAA women's championship game, starring Clark and LSU's Angel Reese, was the most-watched game in sports history, averaging 9.9 million viewers and peaking at 12.6 million viewers.
Walz credits the sport's increased attention to social media, which provides instant access to game highlights, and the on-court personalities of star players like Clark, Reese and UW's Paige Backers. did.
They are preparing to pass the torch to a very talented new student.
USC's JuJu Watkins, who averages 27.7 points per game, scored 51 points against Stanford. Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo leads the ACC in scoring (24.5 points) and steals (5.1). Milesia Fulwilly was a catalyst for South Carolina off the bench.
“I'm not saying the players are better in any way just because they played against Maya Moore and Brianna Stewart. I can't list them all. I mean, incredible players and Candace “Parker, that was pretty good,” Walz said.
“We just didn't get to see everything they did instantly. But I think more people are starting to realize how good this product is, so it's great to be able to do it now.”
Walz praised U of L fans for their consistent support of the team. That's one of the reasons, Walz said, that he's been here for 17 years.
“I told people to come just once. If you don't like it, email me and I'll give you your money back. But once they come, they totally fall in love with it.” ,” Walz said. “Our job is to keep putting more stuff out there.”
Contact sports reporter Prince James Story at pstory@gannett.com and follow @PrinceJStory on X..
