The LSU standout highlighted Clark’s major impact on women’s basketball.

Iowa basketball star and No. 1 WNBA Draft pick Caitlin Clark transcended the sport throughout her college career and reached new levels of stardom during her final year with the Hawkeyes, but the rise to fame came with its share of criticism, too.

Between her on-court showdowns with LSU and warnings from WNBA stars about the “reality” of pro basketball, Clark regularly received attention outside of the overwhelming praise for her scoring, facilitating and rebounding abilities. LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson stood behind Clark’s impact on women’s basketball, though, lifting her up ahead of the Iowa product’s highly anticipated professional debut as the face of the Indiana Fever.

“It’s good for the game,” Johnson said of Clark’s national attention, via The Baller Alert Show. “Caitlin Clark, say what you want, she’s a star. She can shoot that thing. She’s got the green light. America has gravitated to her, and it’s only just pulling the women up more and more and more, so I love it.”

Johnson went head-to-head with Clark twice over the first two years of her LSU career, meeting the Hawkeyes in the 2023 national championship game and again in this year’s Elite Eight. The rising LSU standout started both of those contests and played a key role for the Tigers early in her career, averaging 13.0 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a freshman and sophomore and capturing the SEC Freshman of the Year award in 2023.

“She’s just putting on,” Johnson said. “It’s just beautiful to see for me, because I’m right in the middle of it. I got to share a court with her two times. She’s just a good player. But I love it. I feel like it’s going to give more opportunities for women like me coming up in the next era of college basketball.”

Clark’s fingerprint on the WNBA is already massive, as 36 of the Fever’s 40 regular-season games will be broadcast to a national audience on ESPN. Her final collegiate game — the national championship contest against South Carolina — was the most-watched basketball game, men’s or women’s, across any network over the last five seasons.

Clark is also set to sign an eight-year deal with Nike worth $28 million that also includes a signature shoe. The contract is the largest sponsorship deal for a women’s basketball player and is an extension of the NIL deal Clark reached with Nike during her Iowa career.

Ahead of Clark’s WNBA debut, Diana Taurasi reversed her controversial take on the league newcomer’s rookie-season outlook.

“The new fans are really sensitive these days. You can’t say anything,” Taurasi said, via Dana Scott of The Arizona Republic. “It’s kind of like when you go from kindergarten to first grade there’s a learning adjustment; when you go from high school to college there’s a learning adjustment. I don’t think I said anything that wasn’t factually correct. Like anything, greatness is going to translate and [Clark has] proven that at every level. I don’t see it being any different in the WNBA.”