On Jan. 22, 2002, a star was born. This was not just your average pop or rock star, but a basketball phenomenon. Caitlin Clark was born and raised in Des Moines, Iowa. Like many other stars, Caitlin’s journey began at an early age. At the age of 5, Clark found that there were no leagues for only girls, leaving Clark needing to play in the boys league. Even in her youth, Clark made a name for herself. Throughout her childhood, she also played softball, volleyball, soccer, tennis and golf. At the age of 13, though, Clark would make a decision that would change her life, along with the very face of her sport, forever. Clark decided to focus solely on basketball, and thus, the journey of the rising star had begun. Once the decision was made, there was no going back. Caitlin Clark began playing on highly competitive AAU teams. She then went on to play high school varsity basketball during all four of her years at Dowling Catholic High School. On February 4, 2019, during her junior year, Clark scored 60 points in a single game against Mason City High School.
At only 16, Clark had scored the second highest amount of points in an Iowa five-on-five basketball game in all of history. Later, she was named the Gatorade Player of the Year. Soon, this star moved on to bigger venues, playing college basketball in her home state for the University of Iowa. During only her second game as a Hawkeye, she achieved a double-double by scoring 30 points and 13 assists. She would then go on to receive the Freshman of the Year Award. Her promise followed her into her senior year as well. Just like that, she was in her senior year…a big year ahead for Clark. Clark was named All Around Best Preseason Player. In just her second game Clark scored 44 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists. Her final year in college basketball was Clark’s greatest performance as a player yet. The entire world was excited to see where this star would end up.
On April 15, 2024 Caitlin Clark was selected as the first overall pick during the 2024 WNBA Draft, swept up by the Indiana Fever. May 14 was Clark’s first WNBA game, and she made 10 turnovers. The professional league was not unfolding how Clark had anticipated, but she managed to make a fast recovery. In her next game, the star rose again, scoring 30 points. On August 18, Clark set the WNBA Rookie assists record. Clark also carried the Indiana Fever into their highest performing record of 20 wins and 20 losses. She was then voted the Rookie of the Year by a landslide. Caitlin Clark’s list of awards and accomplishments go on and on, but have no fear, for this star has only just gotten started.
