Two months after taking the country by storm during the NCAA tournament, Caitlin Clark’s star power still appears to be alive and well away from the hardwood.
The mega-popular Iowa star and reigning Naismith Player of the Year made her presence known in a major way on Saturday as a special guest for an MiLB game between the Iowa Cubs and Columbus Clippers in Des Moines, Iowa.
As arguably the state’s most famous athlete, it was expected fans would come in droves to see Clark, whose attendance at the game also included a meet-and-greet and tossing out the ceremonial first pitch. While a strong turnout is exactly what the Cubs got, the massive crowd on-hand prior to the game was proof positive that Clark’s name still has a way to draw crowds.
Video shared on Twitter showed the never-ending line filled with hordes of Clark fans that wrapped around the Cubs’ home Principal Park before Saturday’s matchup. According to Scott Reister of KCCI, fans started lining up as early as 6 a.m. to get inside, despite the fact that first pitch wasn’t scheduled until 12 hours later at 6:08 p.m.
We’re underway! She’s as nice and friendly as ever. #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/7lreeiX1eM
— Scott Reister (@scottreister) June 3, 2023
Given her standing as one of the top players in men’s and women’s college basketball, Clark should certainly get used to being swarmed by fans. But who knew just her name alone could transform what could’ve been a run-of-the-mill, minor league baseball game into a stage for her to showcase her rockstar status?
Needless to say, Clark, who’s also a two-time unanimous first-team All-American, figures to have more than enough support this fall when she returns to Iowa for her senior season.
