Awestruck by the meteoric rise of University of Iowa (UI) basketball standout Caitlin Clark, a dental student used 720 Rubik's Cubes to create an approximately 20-lb-plus portrait of the star, according to a story published on April 4 in the Iowa Press Citizen.
Brian Dang, a fourth-year UI College of Dentistry student who graduates in May, decided to turn his new passion for art using the 3D puzzle and women's basketball into a tribute to Clark in 2023. It was then that he started pixelating an image taken of Clark during the Elite Eight victory over Louisville. Then, he used an Excel spreadsheet to format the placement of the 720 Rubik's Cubes in Clark's portrait, according to the story.
Brian Dang pictured next to his Rubik's Cube creation. Image courtesy of Brian Dang.
Dang had to locate the cubes, each one costing less than $1, and then he had to solve each puzzle. At first, he could solve a cube in about a minute, but once he kept with it, his solving time was 10 to 20 seconds. Once he had the materials ready, he put the art together.
Like Dang, viewers have been captivated by the Iowa Hawkeyes point guard. The last few games Clark has played have broken viewing records, and many people hope she has the same effect on professional basketball.
On April 7, Clark did not win her last college game -- though she had 30 points, 13 of which were in the first quarter during two minutes of game time -- but the NCAA women's basketball career scoring leader is headed to the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) draft. The 22-year-old is projected to be the No. 1 pick for the 2024 WNBA draft, which will be held on April 15.
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