By Pat Harty

IOWA CITY, Iowa – Caitlin Clark is a highly emotional perfectionist.

She demands much from herself and from everybody in her orbit, including her teammates, coaches, and the officials.

And when things don’t go her way, or if she feels that someone has failed to do their job, Iowa’s all-everything senior guard isn’t afraid to let them know it, whether it be a teammate or an official.

This behavior might rub some the wrong way, but that’s who Caitlin Clark is, and it’s who she always has been as a fiery competitor in the heat of the moment.

It’s easy to forget when Clark is making logos threes and recording 40-point triple-doubles that she is human, a 22-year-old woman carrying the massive weight and burden of being a sports phenomenon and cultural icon.

Clark isn’t perfect, and sometimes she is far from it, as shown when she missed 14 of her 22 field-goal attempts in Monday’s 64-54 victory over West Virginia in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

She also has committed a team-high 170 turnovers this season, which will continue Saturday when No. 1 Iowa faces fifth-seed Colorado in the NCAA Sweet 16 in Albany, New York.

But to suggest that Clark’s image is bad for the game as some have recently because she sets the wrong example with her emotional outbursts is ignoring all the good that she does on a regular basis, and the enormous pressure that she is under.

Are there times when Clark takes it too far with her behavior on the court?

Absolutely.

But again, that’s Caitlin Clark, the person.

She is vulnerable and has flaws just like everybody else.

Clark has worked hard since becoming a Hawkeye to tone down her outbursts on the court, but she took a step backwards in Iowa’s 91-65 victory over Holy Cross in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

She was more cantankerous than usual, letting too much get under her skin.

Clark even said in her post-game interview on the court that she needs to smile more and enjoy the moment.

It seemed to be her way of acknowledging that her behavior left something to be desired.

But with Caitlin Clark, the good that she does still far outweighs the bad.

The amount of time that she spends signing autographs and posing for pictures with adoring fans both at home and on the road is incredible.

She doesn’t just do it for her own benefit, though.

Clark is on a mission to help grow the game of women’s basketball, and she knows that interacting with fans and being grateful for their commitment to her is part of that mission.

Kids from across the nation, both girls and boys, now want to be like Caitlin Clark. They wear her No. 22 jersey with pride and joy and dream of making logos threes and no-look passes.

Clark is also a star in the classroom where she just recently was named Academic All-District again.

Her latest accomplishment is having earned a spot on the training camp roster for the USA Basketball women’s national team, which was announced on Thursday. Clark is the only current college player named to the 14-player roster.

The fact that Clark’s popularity has risen to this level would be astonishing under any circumstance.

But that she is a woman makes it even more impressive.

It wasn’t that long ago when Iowa used to hang drapes during women’s games at Carver-Hawkeye Arena to hide the empty seats.

Now there are no empty seats, at home or on the road, thanks to the Caitlin Clark effect.

It seems that women athletes get judged and ridiculed for being too emotional more than men do. Women in sports seem to be held to a higher standard that is rooted in old-fashioned stereotypes.

Clark is actually being criticized for having used profanity in the win over West Virginia.

She was caught on camera saying a bad word in the heat of the moment.

And to some, that apparently makes her a bad role model.

It’s hard to think of when a male athlete has been chastised for saying a bad word in the heat of the moment.

Clark has reached the level of stardom in which trying to tear her down is sadly important to some.

She also has the eyes of the nation following her every move.

Now of course, Clark brings on some of the attention with her growing list of endorsements.

But that’s just her being a savvy businesswoman and using her enormous fame and influence to build her financial portfolio.

The amount of pressure on Caitlin Clark is hard to imagine unless you’re around her every day and see what she goes through.

Never has there been a college athlete, man or woman, that has captivated the nation the way Caitlin Clark has with her immense talent and with her personality and moxie.

The fact that she is thriving in this age of social media has something to do with her popularity.

But there is also a downside to that exposure in that haters and naysayers have easy access to a public platform where they can push narratives to fit an agenda.

Some of the naysayers probably would dismiss this column as just a Hawkeye homer hack bowing at the altar of Caitlin Clark.

And if so, fine. Whatever.

Believe whatever makes you happy.

There is so little to criticize about Caitlin Clark’s game, so now the focus has shifted to her emotional outbursts to tear her down.

Ice Cube’s decision to offer Clark $5 million to play in his BIG3 drew a mixed reaction as some questioned why he picked her over some other star players.

The reason he picked Clark is because Ice Cube is a shrewd businessman, and he understands that her appeal and enormous drawing power makes her unique.

There is no other college or professional athlete right now in any sport that causes fans to line up for hours just to watch her play at home and on the road.

Caitlin Clark is in a class all by herself as a college celebrity sports icon.

Her rise to stardom is one of the best things to ever happen to women’s basketball because she is helping the game evolve.

Clark will soon be playing in the WNBA and is considered a lock to be the No. 1 pick in the April draft by the Indiana Fever.

Her appeal and her impact will be felt both on and off the court.

Her critics will also continue to grow as Clark’s legend grows because the higher she rises, the more they’ll want to tear her down out of jealousy and pettiness.

But if all they have as ammunition are the moments when Clark loses her cool on the court, they won’t have much.