Caitlin Clark passes the torch to next college hoops star in classy fashion

Caitlin Clark was the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft after four dominant seasons at Iowa. There has been a slight period of adjustment since her Indiana Fever debut, but the sharpshooting point guard is starting to put the pieces together. She's averaging a healthy 15.4 points and 6.3 assists on .371/.316/.889 splits across seven professional games.

As Clark continues to blaze trails at the WNBA level, a new era dawns in the world of women's college basketball. Clark sold out arenas at Iowa and attracted millions of new fans. While her transition to the WNBA is a loss for college sports and a huge boon for the pros, there is still plenty of star talent circulating the NCAA sphere.

The obvious next face of women's college hoops is JuJu Watkins, the USC wing who averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.3 steals as a freshman. Having already led the Trojans to the Elite Eight, Watkins is primed to be a regular presence on the national stage in the years to come. It helps that she's playing in Los Angeles, a media hotbed and home to some of the game's brightest stars.

Clark is fully aware of Watkins' talent, not to mention her importance to the game. As women's hoops continue to blossom and gain notoriety, fans will latch on to new stars — those who are following in Clark's footsteps, as she followed in the footsteps of Maya Moore and those before her.

In a recent interview with The Orange County Register, USC head coach Lindsay Gottlieb recalled a conversation between Clark and Watkins at last month's Wooden Award ceremony, where Clark beat out Watkins for the highest individual honor in women's college basketball.

"[Caitlin Clark] was like, 'I had this attention for a year and a half, two years.' She said to JuJu, 'You're going to have it for the next three'... I'm certainly going to utilize that as a resource, if she's this willing. I think that's just a neat thing. And I do think it's really cool on her part to be willing to pay it forward, so to speak, and help someone else."

True class from Clark, which is the norm.

Caitlin Clark pays it forward and sets up JuJu Watkins as next college hoops star

Clark has done everything in her power to elevate those around her in women's basketball. It's a challenging burden to handle — being suddenly and swiftly placed on a pedestal as the face of a rapidly growing sport — but Clark has handled the pressure flawlessly.

On the court, she was the most dominant individual performer in recent memory. That doesn't mean Clark won't one day be surpassed — perhaps by Watkins, who averaged more points as a freshman (27.3) than Clark did in her first season at Iowa.

The torch now passes from Clark to Watkins as a rising sophomore. The USC standout isn't alone, of course, as Paige Bueckers, Rori Harmon, and others will share the spotlight. That said, there tends to be one star who stands above the rest, at least in terms of national media coverage. We've seen it with Clark. We see it with LeBron James, or men's college stars like Zion Williamson at Duke. Maya Moore, Breanna Stewart. The list goes on and on.

That is the path Watkins is currently walking, and she's destined to thrive on it.