ESPN announced its plans Thursday to honor Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark with a special 96-page tribute print magazine, placing her in the esteemed company of sports legends like Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. The issue, set to hit newsstands on Friday, comes in recognition of Clark's impact on college basketball, highlighting her status as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
This exclusive issue will dive into Clark's remarkable journey and achievements, drawing upon ESPN’s archive of content and featuring contributions from some of the network's journalists and analysts, including Andrea Adelson, Alexa Philippou and Adam Rittenberg, as well as insights from Hall of Famer Rebecca Lobo. Executive editor at ESPN, Scott Burton, emphasized the significance of Clark's achievements, describing her as “a signature athlete of our time.”
“This issue offers the definitive account of her rise to superstardom, with unique insight and authority from ESPN’s amazing collection of journalists,” Burton said, per Andy Hall of ESPN.
Clark's record-breaking season has been nothing short of historic. Within a mere 17-day span from Feb. 15 to March 3, she shattered Kelsey Plum’s record to become the all-time women’s NCAA Division I scoring leader, eclipsed AIAW legend Lynette Woodard for the major college scoring record and surpassed LSU legend Pete Maravich for the most career points in Division I history for both men and women. Her gameplay on the court has not only rewritten the record books but has also led the Iowa Hawkeyes into the Sweet 16 of the women's NCAA tournament , with sights set on the Elite Eight, Final Four and championship game for the second consecutive year.
Caitlin Clark also featured in docuseries
In addition to ESPN's print tribute, Clark's story will be featured in Peyton Manning’s upcoming docuseries, “Full Court Press,” produced in collaboration with ESPN. Manning, inspired by his college days at Tennessee and the legendary Pat Summitt, aims to spotlight the stories of women’s basketball stars, including Clark, South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso and UCLA's Kiki Rice.
“We’re excited to share the stories of these three amazing women to a national audience at this incredible moment for women’s basketball,” Manning said.
The series will provide an in-depth look at Clark's journey, her record-breaking season and her preparations for the upcoming WNBA draft, as well as Cardoso’s pivotal role in South Carolina’s success and Rice’s groundbreaking endorsement deal with the Jordan Brand. Directed by Kristen Lappas, the docuseries is set to premiere on May 11 and May 12 on ABC and ESPN+.
Lappas shared her excitement about the project, emphasizing the privilege of documenting Clark's historic season and the unique storylines each player brings.
“To be able to pull back the curtain and document Caitlin Clark’s historic season has been a privilege for our entire team,” Lappas said.
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