Billie Jean King congratulated WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark as Iowa prepares to retire her iconic “22” jersey in February. Clark spent four years playing college basketball for the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Clark, the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, currently plays for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA. While playing college basketball for Iowa she was regarded as one of the greatest collegiate players of all time for her stellar four-year (2020-2024) performance for the team.
In a video teaser by Iowa Women’s Basketball, the university announced that they would retire Caitlin Clark’s iconic jersey No. 22 on 2nd February 2025 in the rafters at Hawkeyes’ home arena during the Hawkeyes’ game against the USC(University of Southern California). The American would be the third player whose jersey would be retired by Iowa after Megan Gustafson(No. 10) and Michelle Edwards (No. 30).
Billie Jean King praised Caitlin Clark for playing a key role in the WNBA’s recent success, calling 2024 a turning point for the league. Clark joined the Indiana Fever as a rookie this year and immediately made her mark, helping the team reach the playoffs for the first time in eight years.
In an interview with USA TODAY Sports, King highlighted the success of the WNBA during 2024 while especially appreciating Clark among other stars such as Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart.
“As great as the WNBA has been, with amazing stars like Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, Candace Parker, Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart, among others, this year is a turning point, and it’s because of Caitlin,” she said.
The American also added that Caitlin was behind the recent craze for WNBA among the youngsters, calling her a “superstar.”
“Whether you like it or not, Caitlin is the reason for so much of this interest. She’s a superstar. When she does well, everyone does better,” Billie Jean King said.
“The league is going to do better. The veterans were the building blocks and now Caitlin and this rookie class have this incredible platform to take the league to an entirely new place,” she added.
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