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Super Bowl Recap

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By: Lily Smith

March 31, 2025

Lily Smith is a second-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. In her spare time, she is an intern in the BGSU Athletics Marketing department, a BGSU Campus Tour Guide, and an avid reader. She is passionate about all things women’s sports, and all things women in sports.

Just about a month ago, I returned to campus from my trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX. I went on the trip with 23 other members of the BGSU Sport Management Alliance (SMA). We travelled to New Orleans, Louisiana to work various different events surrounding Super Bowl LIX. 

Super Bowl LIX logo in front of the Caesars Super Dome

Day 1: Travel Trauma

Our first day of the trip was mainly a travel day. Our flight to New Orleans had a short layover in Denver. Although we were only in the Denver airport for about 30 minutes, I still got to see the mountains for the first time. 

A photo from our gate at Denver International Airport. 
A photo from our gate at Denver International Airport. 

Things turned downhill after landing at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. From our flight into Denver and then into New Orleans, I ended up getting altitude sickness from the rapid elevation change. Due to the traumatics of those few hours, I don’t remember much of our arrival into New Orleans. I know we did get to our hotel around 5pm, and I received about 30 phone calls from my mom making sure I was still alive.

The rest of the group was able to go to Opening Night, which from my understanding was similar to the Opening Ceremony at the Olympics. I stayed home and tried to recover from the day. They were able to see players, hear interviews, and overall celebrate New Orleans, and Super Bowl week. 

Day 2: Beignets and Exploring the City

After about 12-13 hours of sleep, a very long, very hot shower, and a Pedialyte, I was finally back on my feet, sorta. It is Tuesday now! The only thing we had scheduled for the day was training for one of our upcoming shifts. We were able to pick up our required credentials for the NFL, and our uniforms for the events we were working. 

We were also able to go to Cafe Du Monde in the French Quarter and try some fresh beignets. Let me just say, they are delicious. Beignets are definitely something I am not going to eat outside of New Orleans, nothing will compare. We were able to do some small sightseeing, and just take in the overall experience of New Orleans. We went to Louis Armstrong Park, and then did a little shopping at the Nike Store. Then we went back to the hotel to change and refresh for dinner. I got that beautiful plate of shrimp alfredo pictured below.

Beignets at Cafe Du Monde.
Louis Armstrong Park
Shrimp alfredo at Katie’s
Beignets at Cafe Du Monde

Day 3: Botanical Gardens and First Shift

The next morning, we went to the City Park Botanical Gardens. It was very pretty in the gardens, and they had a lot of fascinating art and sculpture installations. The gardens had this precious cat, who did not want anything to do with us, but was very cute sunning itself.

After some fresh air, we headed to the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center to work our first shift at the Super Bowl Experience, presented by Panini. The first day, some of the other members of SMA and I worked the 40 yard dash for the kids’ rendition of the NFL Combine. We had a turf area that had 40 yards marked off, including a finish line and a foam area for participants to dive into at the end. Lots of kids wanted to race their friends and siblings. We also had adults and teenagers wanting to get in on the fun as well.

One of the main components of the whole event was making sure attendants of the event had the NFL OnePass app. This was their way of signing a waiver for the different games, but also a good way for the NFL to track participation rates. At each activation, attendants had to scan their app, so a lot of my job at the 40 yard dash station was making sure participants were ready to go before the race. It was definitely a learning curve for the fans, and myself. 

Kitty!!!
Botanical Garden
There were so many cool plants at the gardens. Things we would never see here in Ohio.

Day 4: LSU and Kylie Kelce

The next day, we went on a visit to Louisiana State University. This was one of my favorite things we did on the whole trip. In one of my previous entries, I did a deep dive on LSU’s Kim Mulkey. She is the head coach for their women’s basketball team. At the visit, we were able to see their basketball arena, the women’s locker room, and some practice facilities. Overall, you could feel the energy in those buildings. As a fan of women’s basketball, this was a magical experience for me. We were also able to go onto the field in Tiger Stadium, and see the whole LSU Football experience. It was amazing to be walking around a campus that in the past and even currently, has had so many legends of the sport industry walking around it as well.

Here I am on the field in Tiger Stadium
Inside the PMAC (Pete Maravich Assembly Center)
Pete Maravich Tribute
Women’s Basketball Practice Space

After our visit to LSU, my group and I were able to go into the city and go to the Super Bowl Experience as fans. Some of the other students had shifts working at the airport volunteering with the Host Committee, but the rest of us took time to do homework and explore the city. While we were walking to the entrance of the convention center from our parking lot, we happened to meet Kylie Kelce! This was so exciting to me, as I have become a fan of hers in the last year or so. She was so nice, and definitely the best “celebrity” encounter I have ever had, not that I have had too many though. While exploring the event for ourselves, we were able to see Micah Parsons (Dallas Cowboys) and Drake Maye (New England Patriots) playing pickleball. This was a really cool activation put on by the sporting equipment brand Franklin, and their owners.

Meeting Kylie Kelce
Drake Maye
Micah Parsons

Day 5: The Lombardi Trophy

On Friday, we had another shift at the Super Bowl Experience. This time, I worked the Lombardi Trophy area. This was one of my favorite things I did the whole trip. It was so surreal to be around the trophy and seeing fans interact and take pictures with it. The Lombardi Trophy is such an iconic symbol of the Super Bowl and the empire that the NFL has built.

Up close shot of the trophy
Posing with the trophy

Day 6: Our Last Super Bowl Experience Shift

After a long shift being at the Lombardi Trophy’s best friend, we went back to the hotel and got some much needed rest before some free time and then another shift at the Super Bowl Experience. This day, I worked some of the pickle ball events I mentioned earlier. I was not able to take any pictures this day, so I don’t have anything to show for that part of my shift. Halfway through working pickleball, I got moved to a different station where I was working another photo opportunity. This was hands down my favorite thing I worked at the Super Bowl Experience. It was a big SBLIX logo that fans were able to sit or stand on, and take pictures with. It was amazing because I got to connect and talk to so many people. I was able to speak with locals, who thought I had an accent, but also people from all over the country (and the world!) who just shared the love of football.

Day 7: Super Bowl Sunday

After losing my voice and a good night’s sleep, we were off to the game day shift! Our day started bright and early when we had to go to our parking and credential pickup site. All of the credential pickups we did throughout the week were so high tech in terms of facial recognition. It felt like I was in some sort of other reality. We were then shuttled into downtown New Orleans, where our staffing hosts fed us brunch and gave us training reminders for our upcoming shift.

After our bellies were full of delicious local food, we were sent out for our shift. I was stationed on Poydras Drive, which was one of the main entrances into the stadium. My job was helping people with directions and just answering general questions. There were several different tailgate groups that either came with tickets or were a premium, so we had to help guide patrons to those events. One of my favorite things from this time was starting famous E-A-G-L-E-S chants with Eagles fans. Some of the other BGSU people were stationed with me, so we were trying to count all of the NFL teams’ jerseys we saw walking into the game. We did end up seeing all 32 teams represented!

A few hours into our shift, things got cut short due to weather and safety concerns. We had to go back into our home base for our staffing hosts, but were able to watch the game together as a big group of volunteers. After things cleared up, we were able to take pictures in front of the Super Dome just before halftime.

Day 8: Tulane University and Seafood Boil

Monday morning, we had a visit at Tulane University and their athletic department. Tulane had such a cool campus since it is right in the heart of New Orleans. We were able to meet with some of their operations staff and see some of their facilities. The Chiefs had actually practiced on their iconic blue turf football field before the game, so everything was being torn down due to the extra security measures put in place. The Chiefs also requested to practice on real grass, so they had to put a floor down over the blue turf and then put all the pieces down for it to be a grass field.

Turchin Stadium for Tulane Baseball
Some of their trophies and jersey combinations
Removing the grass field

Later that day, we returned to the hotel to start to pack up and rest before our travels home. To round off our time in NOLA, we decided to get a seafood boil. This was one of my favorite things I ate the whole trip. We got a standard boil, but got calamari, frog legs, oysters, and hush puppies on the side.

Digging in
The group enjoying our food

Day 9: Travels Home and Last Thoughts

Our last day we woke up, packed up our hotel rooms, and headed off to the airport. After a long day of travel, we landed back in Detroit around 10pm Tuesday night. Overall, I had a great time getting to experience such a great city. Working Super Bowl LIX is something I will never forget, and it truly was a once in a lifetime experience. I learned so much, and I will cherish these memories and knowledge forever. I am so thankful to BGSU and the Sport Management Alliance for making this experience possible for me! I will cherish it forever!

Just before landing in Detroit

Ramping Up for Super Bowl LIX 

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By: Lily Smith

January 23, 2025

Lily Smith is a second-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. In her spare time, she is an intern in the BGSU Athletics Marketing department, a BGSU Campus Tour Guide, and an avid reader. She is passionate about all things women’s sports, and all things women in sports.

Coming up in just a few short days, I will be departing for New Orleans. I am going with the BGSU Sport Management Alliance, the pre-professional group for Sport Management majors to volunteer and work experiences in and around Super Bowl LIX. I am beyond excited for this opportunity, as this is not something just everyone gets to experience. 

Growing up, I have always been fully immersed in the NFL. Every year, for about 45 years, my family hosts a Super Bowl party. Hosting has been passed down and moved around, but the tradition still remains. These days, the party is hosted at my parent’s house, and is the biggest event of the year for my family. We usually order pizza, drink a lot of pop, and of course, the biggest tradition, the Super Bowl cakes. 

I have no idea when this tradition started, but it has been going on for as long as I can remember. We go over to my Grandma Deb’s house, and my dad, sometimes my Uncle Brian, and sometimes my other cousins, and I decorate these helmet shaped cakes based on the two teams competing that year.

Grandma Deb, myself, and my dad in 2022. 

I am sad to miss out on these traditions, but I know I will be gaining experience during the trip. We have so much planned and so many fun things to do. I have never been to Louisiana before, so I am so excited about our trip to New Orleans and the surrounding areas. My family is disappointed that I will not be there for our party, but they know that this is something that I may never get to experience again. 

Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing my experiences and lots and lots of pictures. I will be using Maxwell Media Watch almost like a travel blog or diary for my Super Bowl LIX experience.

Check out this article by David Dupont from the BG Independent News, February 3, 2025: https://bgindependentmedia.org/bgsu-sport-management-students-suiting-up-for-multiple-assignments-at-super-bowl-lix/

This video link appeared on WTOL two weeks ago, when students were exploring weather and security concerns: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVgZXcUC0yA

Finally, this link appeared on Channel 13 announcing plans for SMA to attend Super Bowl LIX: https://www.13abc.com/video/2025/01/12/bgsu-sending-students-super-bowl-2/

BGSU Academy of Distinguished Alumni

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Mr. Maxwell (R), Contributors Lily Smith (C) and Sam Morris (L) pose for a picture. 

By: Lily Smith and Sam Morris

Lily Smith is a second-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. She is passionate about all things women’s sports, and all things women in sports. 

Sam Morris is from Madison Heights, Michigan, and is an undergraduate student at BGSU majoring in Sport Management. He has a passion for sports writing and journalism. In his free time, he also performs, writes, and produces his own raps for the music industry club at BGSU.

October 11, 2024

Kicking off Bowling Green State University’s 2024 Homecoming was the Academy of Distinguished Alumni event. This event highlighted past BGSU alumni and their accomplishments. 

The event was held on September 26th at 6pm in the Bowen-Thompson Student Union Ballroom, and it recognized Larry Benz, Seshadri Tangutur, and Jeff Witjas as the most recent alumni to be inducted into the Academy of Distinguished Alumni.

Although the three distinguished alumni inductees were the main stars of the event, others, like their families, their friends, deans, professors, other BG alums, students, and a few former Distinguished Alumni recipients also attended the induction. 

One of the former Distinguished Alumni who was at the ceremony was the founder of the Maxwell Media Watch, 2018 inductee, Dick Maxwell (above). Maxwell graciously invited both of us to go to the event which turned out to be a night full of networking, great food, great speeches, and an overall great night. 

Sam’s Perspective

Before guests took their seats, Mr. Maxwell introduced us to many people, which was a fantastic way to network with BG alums who are now professionals in the sports field. One professional to whom I spoke was ESPN and ABC Sports former producer, Peter Englehart (below) who explained how making connections with people throughout your academic professional journey will get you to where you want to go. This was the case with him, as he became a producer for 2 of the largest sports production stations. Englehart is not only a great professional figure but also, like Maxwell, in 2015, he was inducted into the BGSU Academy of Distinguished Alumni. 

After taking our seats, we began to network with people at our table. I talked a lot with Dawn Shinew, the dean of the EDHD college, who helped me contact with Curtis Danburg, the Cleveland Guardians VP of Communications and Community Impact. This connection was great for me to have as I now have a future Zoom call with him scheduled after the MLB playoffs end.  

I also talked with Erik Hildebrand, BGSU’s Associate AD for compliance. He was another interesting BG professional because he had extensive knowledge on how NIL works in college athletics which I thought was really cool to be able to get input on. 

Lily’s Perspective

Before the event even began, Sam and I sat down and spoke with Mr. Maxwell about updates in our lives and our journeys in sport. Mr. Maxwell was very interested to hear about our current internships and future opportunities. I found this very endearing and welcoming when it came to my first in-person interaction with Mr. Maxwell. He was super engaged and interested to hear about our different experiences. 

Once the event began, I sat next to Jordan Cravens (below). She is a BGSU alumnae herself (’09, ’13), but is now HHS Senior Director of Development. We chatted about her experiences in the masters of Sport Administration program, as well as her time working with the BGSU Volleyball Team. It was very encouraging to hear insights about the sport industry from another woman in this space. We talked about the transition from the sports world into the fundraiser world, where a lot of the same skills can be applied. This was appealing to me because I am interested in the marketing/public relations side of sports, which is similar to her current position. 

Overall Thoughts

Overall, we thought the event was a great networking opportunity for alums, and luckily enough, for us, to participate in. We personally got a lot of value out of it because we made multiple professional connections and got to see so many different sports careers and perspectives. 

As for the actual Distinguished Alumni themselves, we thought all 3 did a fantastic job with their speeches and they all seemed to have wonderful careers in their respective fields. 

A Deep Dive on Kim Mulkey

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Mulkey points to the crowd, acknowledging their support. 

By: Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

March 30, 2024

Kimberly Duane Mulkey was born May 17, 1962 in the days of John F. Kennedy’s presidency. Kim was born in Santa Ana, California, but raised in Tickfaw, Louisiana. Growing up as one of the first girls to play organized boys’ basketball, she was predicted to be a star. This was proven by Hammond High School winning four state championships, led by Kim herself. This success foreshadowed her future playing and coaching careers. 

Many people have a lot of opinions about Mulkey, her coaching style, her political stances, and even her fashion choices. There is a lot to be said about all of these things, and I want to dive deeper into these choices and the reasons behind them, while also providing a history of this influential women’s basketball icon. 

History

Mulkey during her time at Louisiana Tech.

Kim’s persona didn’t start out being characterized by sparkles, ruffles, and hot pink. Her collegiate career was spent at Louisiana Tech University. Standing at just 5 ft 4 in, often with her hair in braids as pictured above, Mulkey made a name for herself as a point guard. During her college career, she earned the title of All-American. Mulkey and the Lady Techsters earned two national championships. In 1981, they claimed the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) championship. They also impressively gained the title of national champions of the inaugural National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament in 1982. Her accomplishments as a player led her to win the first women’s Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award (top college senior under 5 ft 6 in) in 1984. 

Mulkey poses in her Team USA uniform.

In 1983, Kim was selected to play for Team USA at the Pan American Games in Venezuela. She also played for the Jones Cup in Taipei during 1984, as well at the Olympics in Los Angeles that year as well. During her Olympic run, she averaged 5.3 points per game, and claimed the gold medal.

After her international playing stint, Kim returned to her alma mater, Louisiana Tech as an assistant coach to the women’s team. Later, in 1996, she was promoted to associate head coach under Leon Barmore. During her coaching tenure, the Lady Techsters reached seven Final Fours, had a 430-68 record, and clinched the 1988 NCAA Championship. Mulkey stayed with Louisiana Tech until 2000 when she took over as head coach at Baylor. The previous year, the Lady Bears had gone 7-20 and finished last in the Big 12.

Mulkey coaching at Baylor.

Kim’s takeover at Baylor was truly noteworthy. In her first season, Baylor had their first ever NCAA tournament bid. In 2005, Baylor took down Michigan State for the NCAA title. This feat crowned Mulkey as the first woman to have won an NCAA Division I title as a player and head coach. Years later, in 2012, the Lady Bears achieved a perfect season, going 40-0, the highest number of wins in a single season in college basketball history, women or men. That same season, Baylor took home the NCAA championship yet again.

Controversy

Mulkey with Baylor and WNBA star, Brittney Griner.

During Kim’s glorious reign at Baylor, there were some things going on behind the scenes. Mulkey was very critical of her star player, Brittney Griner. Since then, Griner has seen her own controversies, but she still stands as a women’s basketball icon. She is an openly gay black woman. However, during her time at Baylor under Mulkey things were a bit different.

Griner was reportedly forced to hide her sexuality, and even other things like her tattoos. She was not allowed to speak freely, and had to wear sleeves underneath her jersey. Griner did not feel comfortable coming out to her coach or her peers because there was kind of a “Baylor standard,” and this kind of thing would not be allowed. Later on, Kim was asked if she had ever had a gay player on her team and Kim responded, “Don’t ask me that. I don’t ask that. I don’t think it’s anybody’s business. Whoever you are. I don’t care to know that.”

Understandably, everyone involved in this situation was getting criticism. In a sense, Mulkey was trying to suppress her athlete’s lives. Which in some cases is alright to do, because those athletes are there to play their sport, but they are people, too. Everyone deserves to be known and allowed to express themselves, inherently, as a human.

Being smack dab in the middle of the Bible Belt comes with some challenges for people of color and queer people. Women also hold a different position in society as well, taking place in a more traditional way. Forbes has an article diving into the standards of southern women. You could be an astronaut, but you had to keep dinner on the table for your family. The whole goal is “serve” God properly, and to not be too “out-there,” wear “too-little” or clothing that is “too distracting,” you can be “pretty” but you can’t be overly confident, and of course you “can’t” be a tom-boy.

Tom-boy or hyper-feminine?

Historically, taking the position of a basketball coach, or any coach in the sport industry is easier if you are a male. Therefore, it is inherently a male-centered career. Any female head coach is a pioneer of the industry, and it comes with some tough battles. “Feminine” women are viewed as not tough, ruthless, or victorious. I believe as in the following source that there is quite an interesting boundary between being a female and being an athlete.

Throughout history, women did not typically become athletes especially in sports that required speed, strength, and agility. Think back to the first modern Olympic games in 1896, there were only male competitors. Right now, close your eyes and think about the perfect example of an athlete. Probably not a woman, right? It is probably a well-toned, muscly, oiled-up, big, strong man. Not a woman wearing pink, having long styled hair, wearing makeup, having her nails painted, AND having muscles and other athletic features. This is just not the way society has constructed the ideal athlete.

Now, think about a successful basketball coach. You are probably thinking about an older man, with grey hair, khakis and a sweater vest. This is where Kim Mulkey comes in. A lot of her colleagues, mentors, and former coaches, probably all fit this standard. Still to this day, this is the standard of coaches across all sports, leagues, and ages.

Maybe to combat this kind of male-focused standard, Mulkey feels like she has to hyper-feminize herself to make it known she is a woman. Maybe it is not about female empowerment, but stems from an inner-feeling cultivated in the Bible Belt. She is the perfect example of a Southern woman on paper; she just happens to also be a championship winning basketball coach.

Mulkey is a conventionally attractive woman. Her hair is always perfectly hair-sprayed into place, her makeup is always perfectly done, and her outfits never seem to be too revealing. She is showing off her femininity, and making it known she is a woman. You will never see her wearing sweatpants, a t-shirt, or any sort of comfortable looking clothing or anything that combats her femininity, which would make her more manly looking.

One of Mulkey’s most popular looks.

I personally, like her over-the-top pink, sparkle, feather, ruffle style. I think it’s a statement and if I was in her position I would probably dress a little dramatic. I would get a pink pantsuit and walk into a room full of men. However, I don’t have the idea of a “Southern woman” hanging over my head. I don’t feel as if I have to live up to a certain standard of femininity like she might. I don’t know if my take is right, and it could be that she just likes this style.

There is a lot to be discussed about Kim Mulkey, but I think however you view her, she is an all-round successful woman in the sport industry. She has so many accomplishments and that is nothing to belittle because of the way she dresses. Kim has had her issues, and still continues to have some questionable takes on coaching tactics and politics, and maybe even more that is not in the media. However, all of the female athletes, coaches, and advocates are making way for so many young girls who look up to them, especially during March Madness.

2024 Women’s March Madness Preview

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By: Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

March 11, 2024

OVERVIEW

The NCAA only started calling the women’s tournament “March Madness” in 2022. However, this year has further proved that March is really full of Madness when it comes to women’s basketball. There has been such growth in the sport, and coverage of it, rightfully so. Here is an overview of four of the top teams on the AP Top 25 list. 

SOUTH CAROLINA

Caption: Kamilla Cardoso prepares for free throw.

South Carolina’s record increases to 32-0 after this past weekend’s SEC Tournament win over LSU. This win places them in the coveted spot of top overall seed. The Gamecocks are led by senior center Kamilla Cardoso who averages 14 points per game, and 9.5 rebounds. There isn’t much to hear about one single player, but more of a team effort play-style works best for the Gamecocks. Head coach Dawn Staley leads a tough team that’s looking for a third National Championship win under her coaching. 

STANFORD

Caption: Cameron Brink with Stanford in 2022

Stanford takes the #1 spot in the Pac-12 placing them at 4th in the AP Top 25. Junior forward Kiki Iriafen leads the team in scoring averaging 18.6 points per game. Senior forward, Cameron Brink leads in rebounds, with about 12 per game. With these two powerhouses, the Cardinal are looking for a long tournament run. Long time head coach Tara VanDerveer is in her 35th season with the Cardinal, and is looking for her 4th National Championship with the team. 

IOWA

Caption: Caitlin Clark will move on to WNBA

Iowa has had a ton of attention this season due to the success of Hawkeye superstar, Caitlin Clark. She leads the team in points, rebounds, assists, and steals. Clark recently declared for the WNBA draft after this season.  The Hawkeyes are 29-4 overall, and ranked 2nd in the AP Top 25. Iowa just won the Big Ten championship taking down Nebraska. Many people are looking forward to seeing Clark and her Hawkeyes shine during March Madness. 

USC

Juju Watkins averages 27 points per game

The Trojans are reaching new heights, achieving the best ranking in 38 years. USC is 3rd in the Top 25, and took down Stanford for the Pac-12 title. With a record of 26-5, the Trojans are led in scoring by freshman guard, Juju Watkins averaging 27 points per game. Rayah Marshall is leading the Trojans in rebounds with 10.5 per game. Watkins and Marshall make for a hard-to- beat team especially in later tournament play. Fresh off of a Pac-12 title win “So-Cal” is hungry for a Final Four Spot. 

EVEN MORE TO WATCH

These top four are projected to do well, obviously, but there are always upsets and shockers within March Madness. I believe that makes it all the more fun to follow. With Selection Sunday coming up this weekend on March 17th, the true stories of the road to the 2024 Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament are soon to come out. 

Some more teams to look out for Mississippi State, projected to be the last team into the tournament. The last byes of the tournament are most likely to go to Michigan, Miami, Auburn and Marquette. These last couple teams are always teams to look out for. There is almost always a team that comes from what seems like out of nowhere and continues to stun everyone. 

Caitlin Clark shoots to break several scoring records

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Caitlin Clark puts up a shot, hoping to break the Division I all-time scoring record.

By Lily Smith

Lily Smith is a first-year undergraduate at BGSU from Oregon, Ohio. She is majoring in Sport Management with a Marketing minor. 

February 14, 2023

Caitlin Clark was just in sixth grade when Iowa head coach, Jan Jensen first recognized her. Clark grew up in West Des Moines, playing on boys’ basketball teams. She was said to have a “sassy 3 pointer” in middle school, and that skill positioned her where she is today. 

Growing up playing girls basketball is a different animal. I personally played, and I can say that there is a different kind of emotion attached to it. The highs are up in the clouds, and the lows, well I’m not even sure where I’d place those. Clark has mentioned that during her early years of play, she would cry after every loss. Undoubtedly, Clark has been criticized for showing these big emotions, even in her college years. 

This emotional tie can be negative in some respects, but it further proves her attachment to her sport and her willingness to work hard. With these attributes, it’s no surprise she is in position to break records. Currently, she sits with 3,520 points, and averages 32.1 points per game. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces, holds the record with 3,527 points from her days at Washington. To break the NCAA Division I scoring record, she needs just eight points. On February 15th, the Hawkeyes are set to play Michigan at home, and this is the game predicted to break that record. 

Most recently, Clark snagged the spot of the all-time leading scorer in the Big Ten on January 31st. Clark is also on track to overcome the NCAA’s all-time scorer. This achievement belongs to “Pistol” Pete Maravich who played for Louisiana State University from 1967-1970. Maravich sits with 3,667 points in his Division I career. This 55 year old record is about to be impressively beaten by a female athlete in the near future.

“Pistol” Pete Maravich in a game during his time at LSU. 

Most records between women’s and men’s sports are at different levels. There is just a different level of physicality and ability between the sexes, which proves in athletic records like this. However, Clark is proving that women and women’s sports are just as impressive and high-achieving as men’s sports. There are several sources who are critical of Clark passing Maravich’s record, due to the immense amount of change in the actual sport of basketball, as well as eligibility concerns, claiming that her breaking the men’s record is not quite the same as breaking the women’s.

Either way you view it, that number of points and dedication are not something to look past or discredit. Clark brings a new sense of skill, ability, and motivation to all women, and all sports. Not only has NCAA Women’s Basketball seen an uptick of interest in the past few years, but young girls and women everywhere are opening their eyes to new opportunities. These female athletes are bringing about a new interest and leveling the playing field of women’s and men’s sports as well as their coverage in the media.