Caitlin Clark has taken the WNBA by storm since her debut, earning the Rookie of the Year award and averaging 19.2 points per game for the Indiana Fever. While her success in basketball was evident early on, her athletic journey could have led her down many paths. During high school, Clark excelled in multiple sports, including soccer and even football, but it was basketball that ultimately captured her heart. Reflecting on her high school days, Clark shared that her teammates often couldn’t understand her dedication to basketball, especially when she would practice basketball right before her soccer games. Despite her love for soccer, Clark’s commitment to basketball ultimately led her to make a tough decision: giving up soccer to fully focus on her basketball career.
In an insightful conversation at the Women’s Leadership Conference during the LPGA’s Annika Pro-Am, Clark revealed how her relentless drive to improve in basketball left her peers puzzled. “I remember in high school I played soccer, I was on varsity and I loved it,” Clark shared. “But my teammates would get mad because I would go and practice and work out and do basketball after school right before we would have our soccer games.” Despite the friction with her teammates, Clark was clear that her desire to be the best was stronger than her attachment to other sports. “I eventually had to give up soccer, even though I loved it. I think it was the will I had to want to get better at it,” she explained.
What sets Caitlin Clark apart from other athletes is not just her natural talent, but her fierce work ethic. Growing up in West Des Moines, Iowa, Clark was encouraged to play a variety of sports by her parents, who wanted her to stay active and release her energy. “I grew up playing literally everything,” Clark recalled, listing soccer, softball, golf, and track among the activities she tried. However, as she entered high school, basketball became her primary focus. “When I got into high school, I knew basketball was my future. I loved it, and I wanted to practice,” she said. “That was probably what set that apart from all the other sports I played, just kind of for fun with my friends.”
It was this commitment to constant improvement that allowed Clark to stand out from her peers. While she enjoyed her other sports, basketball became her passion, and she was willing to sacrifice other interests to hone her craft. “I was really competitive about it, but I didn’t take extra time out of my day to work on my game,” she explained. “What was different was that I wanted to get better. I wanted to be better than everybody else.” It’s this mentality that helped Clark carve out the path that would eventually lead her to stardom in the WNBA.
Looking back, Clark sees her diverse sports experiences as foundational to her success, but it was her decision to dedicate herself fully to basketball that ultimately defined her career. “I think that’s what helped me figure out the path I wanted to take,” she said. Her dedication, combined with her relentless drive to improve, has undoubtedly made Caitlin Clark one of the brightest stars in women’s basketball today.
