Johnie Logue

Stiles, Clark
and the WNBA

The only time I ever paid attention to the WNBA was when Jackie Stiles, from then Southwest Missouri State University in Springfield, was drafted as the 4th pick in the draft in 2001. She went on to be the Rookie of the Year. She retired in 2006 due to injuries as at just 5’8″ and 144 pounds, she was beat up around pretty good. Stiles was inducted into the National High School Hall of Fame in 2015 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. She held the NCAA Division I scoring record for 16 years.

Move up to 2024 and the Caitlin Clark show sweeps the basketball world. Playing for the Iowa Lady Hawkeyes, she broke the college scoring record and transformed the WNBA as we all know it. She was named twice as the national college female player of the year. You like sports, and don’t know who she is?

Then you are living in Mongolia or somewhere. She was compared to the legendary Pete Maravich, my favorite player of all time. She was the Rookie of the Year in the WNBA after playing for the Indiana Fever. Yeah, I forgot to mention that she also was the number 1 selection in the draft.

Several men have told me that they never watched the WNBA until Clark came along. Not only is she a great player, but she has a wonderful personality and handles her newly found fame seemingly very well too.

She is listed at 6′ tall and weighs 157 pounds. I do not have enough space to list her awards. And it’s not even close.

Clark attended Dowling Catholic High School in her hometown of West Des Moines, Iowa, and was named a McDonald’s All- American.

Caitlin Elizabeth Clark was born on January 22, 2002 in Des Moines, Iowa. She began playing basketball at the age of five in a boys league because her father could not find a girl’s league for her age group.

She is injured at the present time and many have wondered from the beginning how long she would last as the referees let the girls play pretty rough at times, especially against her. There, I said it.

Obviously, Clark is known for shooting logo three’s and passing like no one maybe ever has before in women’s basketball.
Well, my space is up. Thanks Caitlin, for playing the game of basketball the way it was meant to be played.