5 times $3.1M NIL valued Caitlin Clark lost her calm during March Madness
Caitlin Clark has become a force to reckon with in college basketball. The Iowa Hawkeyes guard is one of the most popular faces, and that is why when she loses her cool during matchups, the entire college hoops world pays attention.
Since the commencement of the WNCAA Tournament, the $3.1 million NIL-valued (per On3) athlete has been vocal about all that has tormented or contented her. So, let's take a look at all five times Caitlin Clark has struggled to hide her emotion on the court.
#1 Caitlin Clark's explicit statement sparks father's frustration
In the closing minutes of the third quarter against West Virginia, the Hawkeyes standout scored an impressive basket and let out an explicit scream. A video showed her screaming:
"Shut the f**k up!"
Then, the camera panned to her father, Brent Clark, to get his reaction. Mr. Clark also appeared disgruntled, which led to the man standing behind him, trying to pacify him.
#2 Part II of Caitlin and Brent Clark showing their frustration
When the Hawkeyes played against Holy Cross in the first-round matchup of the NCAA Tournament, Caitlin Clark was elbowed by a Holy Cross player. She was then seen complaining to her father about the reffing despite the fact that the team was leading the game, 48-29, with 50.3 seconds left in the third quarter.
The reaction from Caitlin and her father, who dismissed her complaints by shaking his head and mouthing words under his breath, garnered mixed reactions from the college hoops world.
#3 Clark jaws at a referee in halftime
While playing against the Holy Cross Crusaders, she was also seen jawing at a referee at halftime even though Iowa had an 18-point lead against their opponent.
#4 Clark headbutts ball after getting the steal
Another time Clark failed to hide her annoyance and dismay was when she called time out because she got the steal but was unable to score. She then proceeded to headbutt the basketball on her head despite holding a strong lead in the game against Holy Cross.
#5 Caitlin Clark throws the "flopping" gesture
Clark was majorly disturbed through the Iowa vs. West Virginia game on Monday. It was one of the toughest nights for Clark and the Hawkeyes, despite winning the matchup.
The Mountaineers made sure to make Clark work for every single point; everywhere she went, she was pestered and bumped, which cracked her. Thus, when she was called for an offensive foul, she made the "flopping" gesture on her way back down to the floor.
Flopping is generally considered unsportsmanlike because when a player flops, they do it with the intention of drawing a deceptive foul out of the official. Even though Clark's flop did not involve falling or crashing on the court after little to no contact, staggering or exaggeration of hand gestures are also looked down upon.