During Caitlin Clark’s first year of playing in the WNBA, stadiums were packed, viewership skyrocketed and there was an overall heightened interest in women’s sports.
Given these facts, few will be surprised to learn that community tickets for Clark’s planned March 25 speech at the University of the Cumberlands went quickly early Tuesday morning.
UC spokesperson Andrew Powell said that the small allotment of free tickets for community members became available online at 10:00 a.m. and were gone in about two minutes.
UC is planning for a capacity of about 2,500 for the event with about half of that total seating allocated to students.
Clark is the keynote speaker in the Excellence in Leadership Series, which is sponsored annually by the Forcht Group of Kentucky. Past speakers include Terry Bradshaw, Laila Ali, and Drew Brees, Rudy Giuliani, and Shaquille O’Neal.
Clark was the 2024 WNBA first overall pick, was the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, was a two-time Naismith Women’s College Player of the Year and is the all-time NCAA leading scorer in basketball for men and women.
“Clark is uniquely positioned to resonate with our students, as she is close in age to many of them and not too far removed from her own college experience,” said UC President Dr. Larry Cockrum. “Clark holds several impressive titles but has stuck close to her roots, using her platform to empower and uplift young athletes. The Cumberlands community will learn much from her exceptional career and dedication to leadership.”
In addition to her success on the court, Clark hopes to extend her impact by encouraging young people to always dream big. She created The Caitlin Clark Foundation, which aims to uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sports – three pillars of her success.
The Excellence in Leadership Series has hosted noteworthy leaders representing a variety of careers and life experiences over the years, providing a diverse array of valuable lessons and impactful messages to Cumberlands students and the general community to instill integral leadership values.
UC’s annual lecture series is made possible by an endowment from local business owners Dr. Terry and Mrs. Marion Forcht, who founded The Forcht Group of Kentucky Center for Excellence in Leadership in 2006.
The purpose of the Center is to provide programs and activities that enhance the development of leadership, character and good citizenship.
