11 Issues to Know About WNBA Celebrity Caitlin Clark

Even for those who don’t comply with girls’s basketball all that carefully, you most likely (undoubtedly?) know the title Caitlin Clark. The 23-year-old Indiana Fever guard first rose to nationwide prominence throughout her faculty profession on the College of Iowa and went professional in 2024 because the primary choose in that 12 months’s WNBA draft. Since then, her star has solely risen increased.

Not solely has Clark develop into a family title, she’s additionally helped encourage an enormous surge in curiosity within the WNBA (and girls’s sports activities typically), together with different proficient newcomers just like the Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, the Dallas Wings’ Paige Bueckers, and the Los Angeles Sparks’ Cameron Brink. That phenomenon is so well-documented that it even has its personal title: the “Caitlin Clark impact.” Per valuation skilled Ryan Brewer, PhD, affiliate professor of finance at Indiana College Columbus, Clark was single-handedly accountable for a staggering 26.5% of WNBA financial exercise for the 2024 season, as first reported by The Indianapolis Star.

So it’s maybe not an enormous shock that Clark grew to become the primary WNBA participant to win TIME Journal’s “Athlete of the 12 months” title in December 2024, based on CBS Sports activities. However regardless of her recognition, likelihood is there’s most likely nonetheless rather a lot you don’t find out about her. Earlier than the Indiana Fever ideas off subsequent, try these enjoyable information about their star participant for a greater sense of who she is and the place she’s coming from, from her childhood aspirations to her present famous person standing.

1. She’s been manifesting a basketball profession since third grade.

Born and raised in Des Moines, Clark grew up enjoying a number of aggressive sports activities, together with soccer and softball, however she’s had her sights set on basketball particularly since a minimum of the age of 9. In a March 2024 ESPN Inside Look interview, Clark shared a imaginative and prescient board she made in elementary college outlining her life objectives, which included incomes a basketball scholarship and enjoying within the WNBA. Examine, verify. (We’ll have to remain tuned on the “large mansion” and “three or 4 children.”)

2. She performed in boys’ sports activities leagues as a child.

Clark comes from a self-described “sports activities household,” and her dad was her first basketball coach. He acknowledged her superior abilities early on and signed her up for boys’ groups so she may proceed to be challenged as a consequence of a scarcity of women’ groups within the space, based on the Newbie Athletic Union. She stayed on longer than most groups stay co-ed—up till about sixth grade—and even gained MVP one 12 months. “I feel it was tremendous particular in my improvement, and in addition it was one thing that by no means fazed me,” she informed ESPN. “It was identical to, I’m a lady, I can maintain my very own, this isn’t something I’ve been afraid of.”

3. Her brothers helped her attain her athletic potential.

Clark, a center youngster, calls her brothers each her “greatest supporters” and “greatest haters,” telling ESPN with amusing that they proceed to humble her. Particularly, she credit her older brother, Blake, whom she describes as at all times being “greater, stronger, sooner,” for pushing her athletically. “Each time I wished to play with him and his buddies…I by no means gained, actually, something, and my mother at all times stated if you wish to play with them, you’ve bought to discover a option to maintain your personal,” she informed ESPN. (Enjoyable truth: Blake went on to play soccer at Iowa State and even befriended future San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy throughout his time there, based on Fox Sports activities).

4. Clark broke data proper and left as a Hawkeye—and is constant to take action within the professionals too.

Schools acknowledged Clark’s pure expertise early on. By the point Clark was in seventh grade, she was already receiving recruitment letters, as she confirmed to Jason and Travis Kelce within the January 2 episode of their “New Heights” podcast. Throughout the identical episode, she additionally mentioned how she was initially contemplating Notre Dame, however finally modified her thoughts in favor of Iowa.

After that call got here many, many, many damaged data. Whereas the total listing is just too lengthy to supply right here, we’ve pulled a number of highlights.