WNBA star Caitlin Clark has opened up about the driving force behind her extraordinary achievements, saying: “I don’t want anyone to be better than me”. The 22-year-old basketball prodigy has had an outstanding year, getting picked by the Indiana Fever in April and quickly becoming a sensation in the league.
Despite her team’s early exit from the playoffs, Clark’s stellar play won her the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award, making a significant mark in her first season. This week, she’s swapping her hoops for golf clubs as she joins an LPGA event with icons like Annika Sorenstam and Nelly Korda.
Speaking at a panel before hitting the links, Clark divulged her motivations, revealing the competitive spirit that drives her remarkable talent. When quizzed on what pushes her the most, Clark said: “Oh man. I think wanting to be the best. Like, I don’t want anyone to be better than me.”
Her fierce ambition is evident, positioning Clark as one of the WNBA’s elite players.
(Image: (Image: Thien-An Truong/ISI Photos/Getty Images))
Hailing from Iowa, her record-breaking college career saw her become the top scorer in NCAA Division 1 history, amassing 3,951 points, paving the way for her pro success, reports the Irish Star. She also clinched consecutive national Player of the Year titles before stamping her authority in the big leagues this season, reports the Express.
Clark’s trophy collection includes FIBA Under-19 World Cup golds from 2019 and 2021, and a victory at the FIBA Americas U-16 Championships in 2017.
The young basketball prodigy’s first season with the Fever has sent her reputation skyrocketing. Scoring an average of 19.2 points per game, with 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds, she completed her inaugural season as just the fifth rookie to be named in the All-WNBA First Team.
She smashed records with the most assists in a single season (337) and the most assists in one game (19). In August, The Wall Street Journal’s Jason Gay even compared Clark’s influence on women’s basketball to the massive impact Steph Curry has had in the NBA with his outstanding three-point shooting.
(Image: (Image: Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images))
Clark is garnering acclaim for revolutionizing the sport thanks to her impressive long-range shooting. “Clark is far from the first great shooter in women’s basketball,” noted Gay.
“But she’s the one who is changing the dimensionality of the game, because of the distance she can shoot from and how well she can pass.”
Clark’s excitement peaked with stellar TV viewership figures in her final seasons at Iowa. After the end of the Fever’s run, she chose not to join Angel Reese of Chicago Sky for the Unrivalled League, opting instead for some personal revitalization time.
“Year one – thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two,” Clark expressed on social media.
Clark’s bank balance is skyrocketing just as fast as her fame. According to Marca, she’s sitting on a tidy sum of around £3.1million ($4m) thanks to a plush four-year deal with Fever earning her £261,000 ($338,000).
On top of that, her juicy sponsorship packages, like the one with Nike, are expected to rake in a whopping £21.6m ($28m) over eight years. Clark’s star power is blossoming in never-before-seen ways, leaving even the most seasoned sports pundits utterly amazed.
Whether it be hanging out with Kansas City Chief’s star Travis Kelce at Taylor Swift concerts or winning praise from the San Antonio Spurs’ behemoth Victor Wembanyama—who hailed Clark as one of the “impressive” talents he’s come across—her luminosity looks set to keep shining for a good while yet.
