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Caitlin Clark when she was 15 in 2017
Caitlin Clark recently learned from her parents that she was almost named MVP of the men’s basketball league when she was young.
By discussing with Hello America presenter Robin Roberts at Massachusetts Conference for Women in Boston on Thursday, Dec. 12, the athlete sparked cheers with a story about playing against boys as a kid.
“I grew up playing with boys, and we never talked about how it was different or weird — it was just normal,” Clark, 22, recalled to Roberts, 64, during their conversation on stage. “You’re better than a lot of girls, so we’ll put you with the boys.” They had a hard time finding women’s leagues where I grew up.
Although his parents, Brent and Annekept this story a secret until recently, the Indiana Fever star understands why she was almost named MVP of a men’s basketball league.
“My dad was actually one of the (boys’ league) coaches and they wanted to make me the league’s MVP,” Clark said. “And these parents were like, ‘We can’t let a girl be MVP of the boys’ basketball league.’ » »
“I was just better than all of them,” Clark joked, drawing loud cheers.
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Caitlin Clark speaks to Robin Roberts on December 12, 2024
Clark, who was appointed TimeAthlete of Yes 2024r, attributes his confidence at a young age to his parents’ open-mindedness.
“There were times when I struggled with confidence, but overall I was a very confident young girl,” she said. “I think that’s a testament to the way I was raised. My parents never told me, ‘You can’t do this or you can’t do that.’ »
The WNBA star said she now hopes young girls realize the importance of having confidence in themselves throughout their sporting and non-athletic pursuits.
“When I failed, I had confidence in myself,” Clark continued. “For young girls growing up and wanting to be something, just have confidence in yourself. And I know that’s something that people struggle with, but I think confidence is really important.
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Caitlin Clark participates in the WNBA All Star Game in July 2024
Related: Why Caitlin Clark was ‘so upset’ in the moments after her first selection in the WNBA draft
Clark also reflected on her eventful year, which included leading her Iowa Hawkeyes to the NCAA Women’s College Basketball Championship Game, becoming the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, being selected to the All-Star Game of the WNBA and winning the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
“A year ago, around this time, I was just starting my senior year of college, so it was crazy to think about that and how much my life changed from that point on “, she emphasized. “It’s kind of like pinching yourself — whether it’s making the Final Four, whether it’s the draft, whether it’s going on SNL. It’s fun to look back and reflect.
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As a rookie, Clark started all 40 games for the Fever, averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 1.33 steals. She led the rookie class in assists, points, steals and minutes played this season. Clark set a WNBA record for most assists in a single season with 337, and she also finished with 122 three-pointers, just short of the league record of 128.
“I’m just trying to remember how grateful I am… there are so many people who would have loved to be in my shoes, and in the WNBA there are less than 144 players, so it’s a group of people even smaller than probably most industries or most professional sports leagues,” she said.
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