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 Greatest 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 ladies’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 rankings that solely legends can rival.

Her otherworldly aura is now being felt within the golf world, too. Clark has taken her skills 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 nearly 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 can be ramped up, as will the dimensions of the galleries. Clark can be why the LPGA and Golf Channel will dedicate important 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 mentioned with fun throughout Tuesday’s press convention.

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

Certainly, Sorenstam and Korda will seemingly 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 without doubt one of the most passionate individuals on the planet, which helps clarify why she has turn into the star she is.

“I like doing these kinds of issues. That is what I’m actually keen about. I’m keen about ladies’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 mentioned.

Picture by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures

“I simply really feel very lucky. After they requested me to come back 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 greatest.’ That is superb.”

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

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

“After I obtained into highschool, I knew basketball was my future. I liked 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 pals. I used to be actually aggressive, however I didn’t take additional day trip of my day to work on my recreation and be higher than all people else. I believe that’s what helped me work out 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 workforce, she would carry weights and work on her leap shot earlier than soccer video games. Her drive for basketball over soccer led to some disgruntled teammates, although she was—as she is on the court docket—the greatest participant on the soccer subject.

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

“I had to surrender soccer although I liked it. It was simply the desire I needed to need to get higher at it. I liked working towards it, and at instances, that’s not one thing all people actually likes to do or needs to do or is so keen about, one thing they love. That informed me I needed to have a future in [basketball].”

She actually made the correct resolution. Whereas in school, Clark grew to become the game’s all-time main scorer—on each the lads’s and girls’s sides. She additionally has extra video games with 30 factors or extra and 10-plus assists than some 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 data in her first season, together with having probably 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, which means she doesn’t have a lot time to play golf. It’s additionally tough to play golf in Indianapolis throughout the WNBA low season from October to April. Maybe that explains why so many newbie golfers can resonate with Clark and her recreation, not like her play on the court docket.

“I’m sturdy, and I can hit it. Simply doesn’t normally go straight. Relies upon. You simply step up there and hope for one of the best,” Clark mentioned when requested to elucidate her recreation.

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

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