HER LEGACY.
The NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship is today and the story isn’t only about viewership; it’s also about her legacy.
Regardless of the outcome, news outlets and social media platforms will strive to be the first to boast numbers on viewership for their impressions and engagement.
The numbers will be BIG.
Celebrate them.
The stories about the legacies of Caitlin Clark and Coach Dawn Staley are BIGGER.
Tell them.
“My goal is to win a national title, plain and simple, it’s what I want to do.”
Think about this for a moment.
Caitlin Clark plays her last game in her NCAA career, vying for the title. Some argue that without a win today, it’s all for nothing. Sure, she has captured the hearts and minds of America. Her logo threes, records, awards, commercial portfolio, impeccable interviews, and connectivity to communities and fans are second to none.
But if you don’t hoist the trophy, are you the GOAT?
Absolutely.
In the era of name, image, and likeness (NIL), Caitlin has carefully balanced being a student-athlete and business manager. She’s remained loyal to a coach, staff, program, and teammates - never leaning towards a transfer portal, big offers, or jumping at every deal. What started with a regional Hyvee grocery store chain partnership, ended with national spots with State Farm, Subway, Xfinity, and Nike all propelling her jump to the WNBA where additional opportunities await.
She has built a business for herself, the University, and the conference. In her freshman year, the average attendance for home games was 4,039 and most games were found only on the conference network. By her senior year, 14,913 fans were packing Carver-Hawkeye Arena with millions watching round the globe and across network and streaming platforms.
Why? Because she kept getting better. There wasn’t a statistic that didn’t improve across her game. GPA - 3.86, PPG - 31.7, RPG - 7.3, APG-8.97.
“A lot of people notice when you succeed, but they don’t see what it takes to get there.”
The Game Cocks are living proof. In 15 seasons at the helm, Coach has two National Championships, five Final Four appearances, six 30-win seasons, seven SEC regular-season championships, seven SEC tournament titles, and nine NCAA attendance titles. This doesn’t happen overnight. It’s been a marathon, never a sprint for Coach Staley.
Remember, it wasn’t Caitlin who America fell in love with first it was Dawn Staley. Everything Dawn has done for the game has been done with intention, before the multi-million dollar broadcast and streaming deals, the era of NIL, the transfer portal, and the ample commercial opportunities available to women’s sports.
She built her legacy from the ground up. She’s the first to promote women in a press conference or interview, regardless if they are on her team or in the opponent's locker room. She’s an advocate for women first, and the business second.
Look for both women to celebrate one another today. It’s what they do.
Grab your popcorn.
-MC
