Why Caitlin Clark Wants to Make an ‘Impact’ on Young Fans
By Movieguide® Contributor
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark opened up about why she takes time to interact with her fans.
“The people I idolized in my life were either professional women’s basketball players, professional soccer players, and that’s what I wanted to be growing up,” Clark revealed. “And I think understanding how big of an impact that can have on a young girl’s life is super important.”
“I always try to make as much time as I can for them. And just to see them scream your name or have your jersey on—that’s something that never gets old,” she added.
Movieguide® previously reported on Clark’s success this season:
Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark has been key to drawing national attention to this season’s NCAA women’s basketball championship. She became the all-time leading scorer for both men and women…
“A record 9.9 million viewers tuned in to watch LSU’s win over Iowa in the 2023 national championship game. And on Monday, Iowa’s 94-87 victory over LSU in the Elite Eight of averaged 12.3 million viewers, the most watched women’s college basketball game in history and one of the most-viewed games in any sport other than NFL football over the past year,” ESPN reported.
Her influence has reached beyond Iowa as well.
“A total of 292,456 fans came through the turnstiles to watch first- and second-round games, an increase of 60,779 fans over 2023, when a then-record 231,677 fans attended,” NCAA wrote.
The athlete recently declared for the WNBA Draft. She is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick and will play for the Indiana Fever.
“While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft,” Clark announced on her social media in February.
“It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me during my time at lowa – my teammates, who made the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be me; Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids,” she continued.
“Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been by my side through it all. Because of all of you, my dreams came true,” Clark concluded.
While he basketball career is taking off, she still takes time for her young fans, hosting camps and games for aspiring athletes.
Last year, she posted a series of photos on her Instagram that showed her coaching, teaching and signing autographs. Clark captioned the photos, “First camp in the books🖤.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Clark:
She’s often referred to as “Ponytail Pete” for her insane shooting range and because she recently surpassed the great “Pistol Pete” Maravich to secure the overall NCAA leading scorer for both men and women.
While many know her as the all-time leading scorer, Clark has a faith background.
She attended Dowling Catholic High School, and in a 2018 interview with the Des Moines Register, she told reporters, “We get to live our faith every day. Dowling starts every day with prayer and ends every day with prayer. This is a big reason why Dowling has such a special culture and is such a special place to go to school.”
Clark’s high school coach, Kristin Meyer, had much to say about her former athlete.
“She knows that she has some talents that other people weren’t necessarily born with, and she’s just looking to maximize them not just for herself but for her teammates, and on an even bigger scope for the fans,” Meyer told Crux.
“It’s not just about scoring a lot of points or winning; she loves playing in front of a sold out arena because she gets to entertain people and bring a smile to their face,” she continued. “For two hours she lets them have this great experience and she takes that pretty seriously, and knows that those gifts from God are an opportunity to bring joy to other people.”
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