“It ain’t for Clark. Do better”: College hoops fans debunk $818k Caitlin Clark getting full credit for jam-packed Iowa vs. Indiana game
The Iowa Hawkeyes took on the Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday. It was a sold-out crowd of 17,222 at Indiana's Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall. Playing at home gave the No. 14 Hoosiers the advantage they needed as they humbled the No. 4 Hawkeyes, 86-69.
Prior to tip-off, analyst Jeff Goodman posted a video clip to his X, formerly Twitter, of fans waiting in line outside the arena. The game was still two hours away but the audience had already started trickling in. However, his caption did not go well with some fans.
"This line for Iowa and Caitlin Clark is INSANE!!!! Literally wraps around entire Assembly Hall. And we’re still 2-plus hours from tip," Goodman said.
Indiana fans point out not everyone is there for Iowa
Many fans pointed out the obvious error in his assumption, as most people on the line were seen wearing Indiana's school colors. Some of the reactions were:
However, two other fans provided another perspective on this. They highlighted the fact that Iowa is known to draw big crowds for their away games. The attendance numbers when a team hosts other teams vs the Hawkeyes have a huge gap, they claimed.
The presence of their fans in large numbers boosted the Hoosiers' confidence as they managed to contain the $818,000 NIL-valued star to just 24 points. They came off an 86-66 loss at Illinois on Monday. Speaking on the win, Indiana coach Teri Moren said:
"You lose a game like Illinois, and you think, 'Oh, wow, our backs are against the wall. Tonight was a step in the right direction to help secure that [host seed] for our fans.
"We made everything very difficult for Caitlin Clark tonight, and that's hard to do. She's a phenomenal player."
With this win, IU further strengthened its chances of being in the top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament. For Iowa, however, this loss means that the possibility of them winning the 2024 Big Ten regular-season title just became weaker.
In a post-game conference, Caitlin Clark shared her thoughts on playing against Indiana's defense:
"Being physical, face-guarding me, denying me the ball, threw a lot of different people at me. Kind of pushed me off my spots, got me a little deeper than I wanted to be. Threw a little box-and-one at us.
"Once you get down, you kind of have to start taking some shots that maybe you wouldn't [normally] take necessarily. I thought we maybe could have drove to the basket more. I wouldn't say we're really a team that plays from behind very much. We fought, but they always responded and had an answer."
Iowa will go against Illinois next on Sunday, followed by Minnesota (Feb. 28) and Ohio State (March 3).
What do you think are the Hawkeyes' chances of taking home more wins? Let us know in the comment section.
Also Read: Caitlin Clark stats last night: Caitlin Clark stats last night: How did Iowa star guard perform against Indiana?