On Thursday evening, Iowa women’s basketball superstar Caitlin Clark absolutely lit up the rival Michigan Wolverines to the tune of 49 points, 13 assists, and five rebounds in what ultimately turned into a 106-89 home victory for the Hawkeyes over their Big Ten counterparts.

With a basket made earlier in the game, Clark had already broken the NCAA women’s basketball all-time scoring record, a distinction previously held by Washington Huskies star Kelsey Plum, but little did Iowa fans in attendance know that it was just going to be the beginning of what was to become yet another electric night for the future WNBA superstar on Thursday.

In fact, after the game, Iowa fans showered Clark with a simple, three-word request as the superstar made her way back to the tunnel.

“Iowa fans chanting, ‘One more year! One more year!’ to Caitlin Clark,” reported Nicole Auerbach of The Athletic on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter.

That chant would of course refer to the idea that most pundits have that Caitlin Clark will leave the college basketball world at the end of this season in order to join the ranks of the WNBA, where she would almost assuredly be the number one overall pick.

At 22 years old, Clark will have already fulfilled eligibility requirements to be able to take her talents professionally by the end of this season, but that sure didn’t stop Iowa fans from trying their luck on Thursday.

The Hawkeyes next take the court next Thursday on the road against Indiana.

Iowa’s Caitlin Clark is transformative, just like Michael Jordan once was

Even if you didn’t like the NBA, or care about any sports, you knew who Michael Jordan was.

His jersey was ubiquitous in the ’90s, his shoes and commercials even more so, and kids across the country flocked to courts in hopes they, too, could “be like Mike.”

Jordan was so enmeshed in the cultural fabric of our society that he became a de facto member of every American household.

It wasn’t just in the United States, either. Jordan had already won two NBA titles when he and the Dream Team played at the Barcelona Olympics, and even the possibility of catching a glimpse of “MJ” in a hotel lobby or getting on a bus was enough to draw throngs of fans.

Even those who didn’t see him in person were inspired to buy the products he pitched or take up the game — future Hall of Famers included.

Clark’s impact might not be as widespread — yet — but it’s no less transformative.

Interest in women’s sports has skyrocketed over the last few years. Viewership during last year’s NCAA basketball tournament obliterated the previous high, with the final between Clark’s Iowa team and LSU alone watched by almost 10 million people.