Caitlin Clark has shown off her impressive abilities since she was in high school, where she spent time playing basketball and soccer. The future WNBA star was meant for greatness, but it took some time for people to realize it.
Once she made it to college, Clark’s popularity reached a new high. She recalled that mostly friends and family members attended her first game. Once people started to learn about her, Iowa Hawkeyes fans packed Carver-Hawkeye Arena whenever Clark played.
Back in 2023, following a 41-point outburst from Clark, former coach Jan Jensen explained what made Clark a star, clarifying that it was something beyond her game. For her, former coach Lisa Bluder helped Clark take her popularity to another level.
Caitlin Clark’s connection with the coaching staff made all the difference
“Caitlin Clark is Caitlin Clark because I think she felt the connection with Lisa, our staff, and me — all of it,” Jensen said, per Sportskeeda. “But she needed the right head coach to let her be who she was, and she studied it. We’ve always scored points. We’ve led the nation in scoring a whole bunch of times, and I think Caitlin watched that. But I’m not certain that Caitlin would be Caitlin without Lisa Bluder … even tonight, she took 3 — but she also hit six that if you’re always putting your thumb on it, you don’t get that. And I think Lisa has always understood that. Lisa has been really firm when she needed to be — in her office and in practice.”
Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
After entering the WNBA as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, Caitlin Clark remained close to her old team. She even paid a special visit to it during the offseason.
The team honored her, Kate Martin, and Gabbie Marshall, among others, as part of the teams that made it to back-to-back national championship games. In February, Clark’s number was retired, adding another major achievement in her still-young basketball career.
