Amid record numbers, Caitlin Clark and Women’s March Madness still see subpar conditions
Even after a record-setting Elite Eight matchup against LSU on Monday night, Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes still faced questionable conditions during a press conference in Cleveland for the Final Four.
A Go Iowa Awesome publisher complained about Clark's press conference being held in a loading dock. The reporter, Adam Jacobi, captured a video in which Clark even showed her trouble hearing due to the noise. At one point, she had to lean in to try to hear the questions.
Caitlin Clark, one of the brightest stars the sport has ever seen, at one of the most anticipated Final Fours ever.
— Adam Jacobi (@adam_jacobi) April 4, 2024
And we can barely hear her breakout interview because it’s in the middle of a loading dock and the only thing between us and the forklifts is a curtain. pic.twitter.com/4PC2HTHNhZ
It is probably not the best idea to put perhaps the greatest college basketball player this year next to an in-use loading dock for one of her media availability, especially given the spotlight Clark has drawn to the women's tournament this year.
In the video, heavy machinery could be heard being operated in the middle of Clark's responses and questions. Making it sound like the worksite was directly next to where the presser was happening.
Caitlin Clark, Women's Final Four still seeing subpar conditions
Jacobi brought this up with the NCAA. In which the response was not too good.
“There was no perfect solution to the breakout area but you should know that you are in the minority with your complaints,” the NCAA rep told Jacobi. “Caitlin Clark provided media access for almost an hour today and if you couldn’t get what you needed from her in one of her four media sessions, that’s on you.”
While the issue was not about Clark's overall availability, the problem was the location chosen for this specific availability, which the NCAA failed to address in this message. The practical issues with having background noise during interviews impact everyone in terms of regular communication.
Due to inclement environments, reporters could have a more challenging time getting accurate quotes and may not be able to use clips for the media because they struggle to hear the athlete.
However, the location is at an NBA arena, so there should be other spaces available.
But beyond that, no athlete should be treated this way during a tournament, especially in the Final Four. Not only is Clark a superstar being treated this way, but its likely other athletes in Cleveland could be experiencing similar things.
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