Caitlin Clark reveals how basketball was true ardour earlier than LPGA debut

The Caitlin Clark fever continues to take over the world.

It’s no surprise why the entrance cowl of The Yr’s Finest Sports activities Writing 2024 options an image of the previous Iowa Hawkeye standout. Her ascension to worldwide fame and unprecedented success helped drive sports activities followers to girls’s school basketball and the WNBA like no one ever has earlier than. That explains why famend broadcaster Mike Breen in contrast Clark to Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Steph Curry on a latest telecast—she is producing unparalleled scores that solely legends can rival.

Her otherworldly aura is now being felt within the golf world, too. Clark has taken her abilities to Florida, the place she is going to tee it up with Annika Sorenstam and World No. 1 Nelly Korda within the Wednesday Professional-Am forward of this week’s LPGA occasion. An avid participant in her personal proper, Clark has performed golf for so long as she will be able to bear in mind—together with virtually each different sport. A 16-handicapper, she says she tries to shoot within the mid-80s. However since she is going to play with two all-time greats on Wednesday, Clark hopes to muster any rating beneath 100. She is aware of the strain will probably be ramped up, as will the dimensions of the galleries. Clark can also be why the LPGA and Golf Channel will dedicate vital protection to her LPGA Professional-Am debut, which not often occurs, if in any respect, for Wednesday Professional-Ams.

“I don’t know what I signed up for,” Clark stated with fun throughout Tuesday’s press convention.

“Free classes. That’s how I’m taking a look at it. Pull my cellphone out and file each single certainly one of [their] swings.”

Certainly, Sorenstam and Korda will doubtless lend Clark a tip or two throughout their spherical. However Clark didn’t fly to the Tampa space to enhance her recreation. She did so as a result of she is likely one of the most passionate folks on the planet, which helps clarify why she has change into the star she is.

“I like doing a majority of these issues. That is what I’m actually obsessed with. I’m obsessed with girls’s sports activities. For me, it’s enjoyable. Folks suppose basketball is a job. No. I really feel like I ought to discover a job within the low season. I get to play basketball each single day, and I do know there are lots of people who would kill to do this,” Clark stated.

Picture by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire by way of Getty Photos

“I simply really feel very lucky. Once they requested me to return down right here, I used to be like, ‘Yeah, I can get away from the Indianapolis chilly. I get to play golf with a number of the finest.’ That is wonderful.”

Clark was an excellent athlete rising up, all the time competing towards the boys from her hometown in each sport. The Indiana Fever star says she misplaced loads of video games and failed quite a few occasions, however that helped give her the drive she wanted to succeed. She additionally dreamed of doing one thing particular as a younger woman and aspired to win the lottery sometime, however one may argue she did simply that by way of her unbelievable basketball profession to this point.

So, why did Clark choose basketball over the likes of soccer, softball, golf, and observe?

“Once I bought into highschool, I knew basketball was my future. I beloved it, and I needed to observe it. I believe that was totally different. I needed to get higher. I needed to spend time engaged on my recreation. That was most likely what set that aside from all the opposite sports activities I performed,” Clark defined.

“[The other sports] have been simply enjoyable with my mates. I used to be actually aggressive, however I didn’t take additional trip of my day to work on my recreation and be higher than all people else. I believe that’s what helped me determine the trail I needed to take.”

Clark then shared a narrative about how, at one level in highschool, as a member of the Varsity soccer group, she would elevate weights and work on her leap shot earlier than soccer video games. Her drive for basketball over soccer led to some disgruntled teammates, regardless that she was—as she is on the courtroom—the finest participant on the soccer subject.

“[My teammates] couldn’t imagine I used to be doing that,” Clark added.

“I had to surrender soccer regardless that I beloved it. It was simply the desire I needed to wish to get higher at it. I beloved training it, and at occasions, that’s not one thing all people actually likes to do or needs to do or is so obsessed with, one thing they love. That advised me I needed to have a future in [basketball].”

She actually made the proper determination. Whereas in school, Clark grew to become the game’s all-time main scorer—on each the boys’s and ladies’s sides. She additionally has extra video games with 30 factors or extra and 10-plus assists than every other participant over the previous 25 years. The Des Moines, Iowa native capped her profession at Iowa by main the Hawkeyes to the Nationwide Championship recreation. However they misplaced to the top-ranked South Carolina Gamecocks, who went undefeated.

The Indiana Fever then chosen Clark with the primary general choose within the 2024 WNBA Draft, and her stardom continued to soar. She set a number of WNBA information in her first season, together with having essentially the most factors scored and assists recorded. Clark additionally grew to become the quickest participant to empty 100 three-pointers.

But, her dedication to the WNBA occupies her spring, summer season, and early fall, that means she doesn’t have a lot time to play golf. It’s additionally tough to play golf in Indianapolis through the WNBA low season from October to April. Maybe that explains why so many beginner golfers can resonate with Clark and her recreation, in contrast to her play on the courtroom.

“I’m robust, and I can hit it. Simply doesn’t often go straight. Relies upon. You simply step up there and hope for the very best,” Clark stated when requested to clarify her recreation.

“No, it’s enjoyable. It’s a lot totally different than basketball. That’s why I like it. It’s particular person. It’s a problem. Particularly mentally. That’s what’s so stunning about golf.”

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in Via. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to observe him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.