Caitlin Clark’s hometown paper still doesn’t get it

Iowans are hooked on the Fever

Photo courtesy of bigmoe797 on Wikimedia Commons

The Des Moines Register continues to downplay Caitlin Clark and her thousands of hometown fans. What is the possible reason that other major newspapers “get it” and the Register keeps missing the story?

Last July, I wrote a column headlined “Caitlin Clark’s hometown newspaper drops the ball”. Ten months later, the Register continues to fumble the ball out of bounds.

One of this weekend’s biggest national sports stories happened Saturday. Clark began her second season with the WNBA’s Indiana Fever. The game was nationally televised on ABC. Clark demonstrated she has not lost a step in the off-season. She hit a triple-double, which means double figures in points, assists and rebounds.

The bigger story, though, was her continuing clash with Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky. These two have history, which you likely know about. In Saturday’s third quarter, Clark fouled Reese hard, with Reese tumbling to the floor. Reese popped up and went after Clark, mouthing obscenities until Clark’s teammates got in front of Reese.

The crowd went nuts. Social media exploded. Newspapers across the country jumped on the story. Some headlines:

· The New York Times: “Caitlin Clark receives flagrant for hacking Angel Reese in season opener”

· The Washington Post: “Caitlin Clark fouled Angel Reese – and the WNBA was officially back”

· The Guardian: “Clark downplays fracas with Reese as rivalry ignites”

You get the idea.

Sunday morning, I got up, made some coffee, and sat down to read about the game in the Register.

The print edition had no mention of the game, even though it started at 2:30 the afternoon before.

I checked the Register app’s front page, which is where updated stories are posted when the print edition’s early deadlines miss a big story. I scrolled, and scrolled and scrolled – and finally found a mention of the game:

The ONLY mention on the Register app’s front page was how to tune in for a game that happened yesterday! No score. No highlights. No post-game quotes. Just a stale story that should have been removed the night before.

This borders on journalistic malpractice. How can every other newspaper in the country recognize a big story but the Register doesn’t? What’s the reason? Weekend staffing issues? Somebody just not paying attention? Is there even a web editor in Iowa or is it being hubbed somewhere else in the country?

It’s a disservice to readers. There is huge interest not only in Clark, but in the Fever.

Iowans have caught the Fever

Two weeks ago today, my wife and I were lucky enough to attend Clark’s triumphant return to Carver Hawkeye Arena for an exhibition game. I anticipated the sold-out arena roaring for Clark. What was surprising was the crowd reaction for the other Fever stars – Kelsey Mitchell, Aliyah Boston, Lexi Hull and Sophie Cunningham.

Iowans have fallen in love with the Fever. They’re watching the games. They’re wearing Fever jerseys. They know the players. Sure, Caitlin was the gateway drug, but Iowans are hooked on the Fever.

Which brings us back to the perplexing lack of coverage from the Register. The Indianapolis Star has excellent coverage of the Fever. Gannett owns both newspapers. How hard would it be for a Register web editor to jump into the Gannett system and drag over a story or two to the Register’s digital site?

If the Register thinks that Iowans have lost interest because Clark has left Iowa, I suggest that’s an error in judgment. More than likely, there’s a communication breakdown between the sports department and the digital team.

Let’s hope they can talk and fix this. It’s not hard. “Hey guys, big game this weekend. What’s our coverage plan?”

Otherwise, they’re inviting readers to look for coverage elsewhere. It’s not hard to find.

Am I wrong?

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