Even if you don’t follow women’s basketball all that closely, you probably (definitely?) know the name Caitlin Clark. The 23-year-old Indiana Fever guard first rose to national prominence during her college career at the University of Iowa and went pro in 2024 as the number one pick in that year’s WNBA draft. Since then, her star has only risen higher.
Not only has Clark become a household name, she’s also helped inspire a massive surge in interest in the WNBA (and women’s sports in general), along with other talented newcomers 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 own name: the “Caitlin Clark effect.” Per valuation expert Ryan Brewer, PhD, associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus, Clark was single-handedly responsible for a staggering 26.5% of WNBA economic activity for the 2024 season, as first reported by The Indianapolis Star.
So it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that Clark became the first WNBA player to win TIME Magazine’s “Athlete of the Year” title in December 2024, according to CBS Sports. But despite her popularity, chances are there’s probably still a lot you don’t know about her. Before the Indiana Fever tips off next, check out these fun facts about their star player for a better sense of who she is and where she’s coming from, from her childhood aspirations to her current superstar status.
1. She’s been manifesting a basketball career since third grade.
Born and raised in Des Moines, Clark grew up playing multiple competitive sports, including soccer and softball, but she’s had her sights set on basketball specifically since at least the age of nine. In a March 2024 ESPN Inside Look interview, Clark shared a vision board she made in elementary school outlining her life goals, which included earning a basketball scholarship and playing in the WNBA. Check, check. (We’ll have to stay tuned on the “huge mansion” and “three or four kids.”)
2. She played in boys’ sports leagues as a kid.
Clark comes from a self-described “sports family,” and her dad was her first basketball coach. He recognized her advanced skills early on and signed her up for boys’ teams so she could continue to be challenged due to a lack of girls’ teams in the area, according to the Amateur Athletic Union. She stayed on longer than most teams remain co-ed—up until about sixth grade—and even won MVP one year. “I think it was super special in my development, and also it was something that never fazed me,” she told ESPN. “It was just like, I’m a girl, I can hold my own, this is not anything I’ve been afraid of.”
3. Her brothers helped her reach her athletic potential.
Clark, a middle child, calls her brothers both her “biggest supporters” and “biggest haters,” telling ESPN with a laugh that they continue to humble her. In particular, she credits her older brother, Blake, whom she describes as always being “bigger, stronger, faster,” for pushing her athletically. “Whenever I wanted to play with him and his friends…I never won, really, anything, and my mom always said if you want to play with them, you’ve got to find a way to hold your own,” she told ESPN. (Fun fact: Blake went on to play football at Iowa State and even befriended future San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy during his time there, according to Fox Sports).
4. Clark broke records right and left as a Hawkeye—and is continuing to do so in the pros too.
Colleges recognized Clark’s natural talent early on. By the time Clark was in seventh grade, she was already receiving recruitment letters, as she confirmed to Jason and Travis Kelce in the January 2 episode of their “New Heights” podcast. During the same episode, she also discussed how she was initially considering Notre Dame, but ultimately changed her mind in favor of Iowa.
After that decision came many, many, many broken records. While the full list is too long to provide here, we’ve pulled a few highlights.
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