Clark should become the NCAA all-time leading women’s scorer tonight. She’s so fun to watch - truly a generational player.

I say semi OT and this is a bit of a reach, but the Rice women are going to be playing in a Thanksgiving tournament at Cancun next season that also features Iowa in our 6 team division. From what I read, we’re in a six team bracket that features two games each so not really a tournament format. We play BYU in our opener. I don’t think they’ve figured out our second game yet, but it will be between Iowa, Rhode Island and Idaho State and 1 team TBA (but it’s supposed to be another top 25 type team).

And no, I seriously doubt Clark will return to Iowa for a fifth season.

(02-15-2024 08:47 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Clark should become the NCAA all-time leading women’s scorer tonight. She’s so fun to watch - truly a generational player.

I say semi OT and this is a bit of a reach, but the Rice women are going to be playing in a Thanksgiving tournament at Cancun next season that also features Iowa in our 6 team division. From what I read, we’re in a six team bracket that features two games each so not really a tournament format. We play BYU in our opener. I don’t think they’ve figured out our second game yet, but it will be between Iowa, Rhode Island and Idaho State and 1 team TBA (but it’s supposed to be another top 25 type team).

And no, I seriously doubt Clark will return to Iowa for a fifth season.

Story on NPR about her yesterday.
A point was made that she might earn more in a fifth season with NIL money than she could in the WNBA.
Factual? Idunno...

(02-15-2024 09:27 AM)Grungy Wrote:  

(02-15-2024 08:47 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Clark should become the NCAA all-time leading women’s scorer tonight. She’s so fun to watch - truly a generational player.

I say semi OT and this is a bit of a reach, but the Rice women are going to be playing in a Thanksgiving tournament at Cancun next season that also features Iowa in our 6 team division. From what I read, we’re in a six team bracket that features two games each so not really a tournament format. We play BYU in our opener. I don’t think they’ve figured out our second game yet, but it will be between Iowa, Rhode Island and Idaho State and 1 team TBA (but it’s supposed to be another top 25 type team).

And no, I seriously doubt Clark will return to Iowa for a fifth season.

Story on NPR about her yesterday.
A point was made that she might earn more in a fifth season with NIL money than she could in the WNBA.
Factual? Idunno...

I'd say it's possible. In 2023:

Quote:Picks 1-4 will make a base salary of $74,305 in their first year.

source: https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/2023/...ary-scale/

So Iowa boosters could certainly find something like that, and I'm not sure her commercial possibilities are that much reduced in college vs WNBA.

I watched the semi-final NCAA game last year (Iowa vs SC) and I was just amazed at Ms. Clark and her ability to take over the game. I also could not believe how much fun the players seemed to have during the contest, even with the incredible competition we were witnessing.

I hope the scoring record falls early in the contest so it doesn’t get in the way of the game.

If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Tickets for tonight's game is reportedly going for as high as $365, the most ever for any collegiate women's sporting event.

Clark sets the record with a 49 point effort on 16 of 31 shooting, 9-18 from 3 pt range.

#4 Iowa defeats Michigan 106-89.

One final note from last night’s game. Jordan Hobbs of Michigan was their leading scorer last night. She was originally part of the Rice freshman recruiting group that also included Fisher and Gooden. But after Langley left for Washington, she asked to be released from her Rice scholarship and went to Michigan instead.

Watching her for the first time last night, she definitely would have been an impact player at Rice. A 6-2 guard who can move a bit. Oh well, we seem to have done okay eventually without her.

I wonder if Tina Langley is on the hot seat this year. Hasn't had a winning record yet in the Pac-12 and it's year three.

Langley with another bad loss last night to a mediocre ASU team. She’s running out of winnable games for the season. I suspect she’s fine for this year but next year might start feeling the heat.

My take is that we have definitely upgraded from Langley to Edmonds in terms of Xs and Os and in-game coaching decisions. I might still have to give Langley an edge in recruiting, but Edmonds looks like she has put together two out of three quality classes, and isn’t far behind Langley in that regard in my estimation.

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Max salary in WNBA is $235K. Clark is currently making just over $400K/year in NIL. Expectations would be her coming back for another year would top that #. Crazy world we live in where NIL > pro $.

(02-18-2024 10:24 AM)owl40 Wrote:  

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Max salary in WNBA is $235K. Clark is currently making just over $400K/year in NIL. Expectations would be her coming back for another year would top that #. Crazy world we live in where NIL > pro $.

Can she not earn NIL type money, i.e., endorsements in addition to her WNBA salary? I can't believe when she turns "pro", i.e., no longer playing for a university, all her endorsements suddenly evaporate.

(02-18-2024 11:40 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 10:24 AM)owl40 Wrote:  

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Max salary in WNBA is $235K. Clark is currently making just over $400K/year in NIL. Expectations would be her coming back for another year would top that #. Crazy world we live in where NIL > pro $.

Can she not earn NIL type money, i.e., endorsements in addition to her WNBA salary? I can't believe when she turns "pro", i.e., no longer playing for a university, all her endorsements suddenly evaporate.

Then she does commercial endorsements. Why would her Iowa booster NIL patrons pay her when she is gone? Subway and others will decide if she is good for their business.

(02-18-2024 04:20 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 11:40 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 10:24 AM)owl40 Wrote:  

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Max salary in WNBA is $235K. Clark is currently making just over $400K/year in NIL. Expectations would be her coming back for another year would top that #. Crazy world we live in where NIL > pro $.

Can she not earn NIL type money, i.e., endorsements in addition to her WNBA salary? I can't believe when she turns "pro", i.e., no longer playing for a university, all her endorsements suddenly evaporate.

Then she does commercial endorsements. Why would her Iowa booster NIL patrons pay her when she is gone? Subway and others will decide if she is good for their business.

Notice I said NIL TYPE money. Isn’t that what an endorsement is?

Paige Bueckers at UConn decided to come back for a 5th year. I know she's dealt with injury issues, but she was the original It Girl early in her college career before Clark exploded on the scene. Would seem to indicate there are definite reasons to still stick around.

For Clark, it could come down to if she wins an NCAA title this year. And even then, she could choose to come back to defend it. There's also extending her scoring records.

I think there's a decent chance she comes back next year.

(02-18-2024 04:52 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 04:20 PM)Tiki Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 11:40 AM)Tomball Owl Wrote:  

(02-18-2024 10:24 AM)owl40 Wrote:  

(02-15-2024 05:00 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  If the WNBA wants to be taken seriously, they’re going to have to pay Clark what she is worth. She is selling out Big 10 arenas everywhere. No reason to expect that wouldn’t happen in the WNBA.

Max salary in WNBA is $235K. Clark is currently making just over $400K/year in NIL. Expectations would be her coming back for another year would top that #. Crazy world we live in where NIL > pro $.

Can she not earn NIL type money, i.e., endorsements in addition to her WNBA salary? I can't believe when she turns "pro", i.e., no longer playing for a university, all her endorsements suddenly evaporate.

Then she does commercial endorsements. Why would her Iowa booster NIL patrons pay her when she is gone? Subway and others will decide if she is good for their business.

Notice I said NIL TYPE money. Isn’t that what an endorsement is?

On paper, yes. In practice, no.

Label this OT now. Clark is going to the WNBA.

(02-15-2024 08:47 AM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Clark should become the NCAA all-time leading women’s scorer tonight. She’s so fun to watch - truly a generational player.

I say semi OT and this is a bit of a reach, but the Rice women are going to be playing in a Thanksgiving tournament at Cancun next season that also features Iowa in our 6 team division. From what I read, we’re in a six team bracket that features two games each so not really a tournament format. We play BYU in our opener. I don’t think they’ve figured out our second game yet, but it will be between Iowa, Rhode Island and Idaho State and 1 team TBA (but it’s supposed to be another top 25 type team).

And no, I seriously doubt Clark will return to Iowa for a fifth season.

Sixth team I see finally announced is New Mexico State. Honestly, I’m not sure why Iowa wouldn’t want to play us and BYU as the other teams would be exhibition games for them. Rhode Island had an okay record but is losing most of its team. Hopefully we get to play BYU and Iowa (without Clark of course but still a formidable team).