Clarkâs drive was evident long before she became the hottest name in college basketball
DES MOINES, IOWA – Before Caitlin Clark became the NCAA record setter, the advertising goldmine and the most exciting womenâs basketball player on the court, she was simply Caitlin.
Caitlin the soccer player. The competitive kid. The athlete willing to try her hand at a variety of sports.
Clark has scored an NCAA Division I record 3,771 points. Sheâs earned multiple All-American honors and was named the Naismith Womenâs National Player of the Year. Her long-range 3-point baskets and dazzling passes have drawn celebrity fans like hip-hop performer Travis Scott and Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan.
When Lily Overstreet, a former youth soccer teammate who grew up in the Des Moines area, watches Clark launch buzzer-beating baskets on TV, her mind flashes back to when they were 11-year-olds.
âShe was very intense, a fierce competitor,â Overstreet said. âEven from an early age, she would do what it took to win. You always wanted to be on her team.â
Overstreet and Clark were teammates from 11U to 14U. Clark played for two seasons at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic High School before concentrating on basketball. Overstreet now plays soccer at Drake University in Des Moines.
Clark was the type of player that would do whatever she needed to do to help her team. As an 11-year-old, the keeper on her club team was injured during a match and couldnât play. Clark switched out her jersey and stepped into the goal â even though her role had been as a scorer and playmaker.
Even in an unnatural position, Clark fit in, arms outreached and shifting her body back and forth in goal to keep the opponents from scoring. Inexperienced, but naturally skilled beyond her years.
âShe kind of looked like Spider-Man in the net,â Overstreet said.
Clark played a key role in the match and her team won.
Watch Clark on the TV screen and youâll see an athlete who is loaded with confidence and wants to win. Part of that desire comes from her parents and extended family. Both dad Brent and mom Anne were good athletes; Brent is a member of the Simpson (Iowa) College athletic Hall of Fame in basketball and baseball. Her cousin Audrey Faber was a basketball star at Creighton. Grandfather Bob Nizzi was a football coach.
âShe kind of looked like Spider-Man in the net,â Overstreet said.
Clark played a key role in the match and her team won.
Watch Clark on the TV screen and youâll see an athlete who is loaded with confidence and wants to win. Part of that desire comes from her parents and extended family. Both dad Brent and mom Anne were good athletes; Brent is a member of the Simpson (Iowa) College athletic Hall of Fame in basketball and baseball. Her cousin Audrey Faber was a basketball star at Creighton. Grandfather Bob Nizzi was a football coach.
That desire to compete was fed to her.
âIt probably comes from both of our families,â Brent Clark said.
Even during holiday âwhite elephantâ gift exchanges, family members would argue and shout over wrapped packages.
News
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce Pack on the PDA While Vacationing in the Bahamas
The couple jetted off for some quality time amid the NFL’s offseason and a break in the Eras tour. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are soaking in the sun, sand and smooches in a handful of new loved-up pics. The couple was snapped…
Swifties praise Taylor Swift for ‘planning’ Eras tour around her lead guitarist’s expectant baby so he could spend time with his new arrival
Taylor Swift‘s lead guitarist has welcomed a new Swiftie into his family. Paul Sidoti took to social media to announce that he and wife Ashley welcomed a son, Samuel Paul, on March 12. Paul has been the lead guitarist and…
Taylor Swiftâs Mom approve of Travis Kelce: âFinally met her match!â
Taylor Swift might be planning to take her romance with Travis Kelce to the next level as an insider reveals she is âfallingâ for him. The couple sparked relationship rumors first when the 33-year-old singer attended three of…
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swiftâs Families Have Never Seen Them Happier, Source Says. The couple will be in Los Angeles this weekend â Kelce for the Chiefs game vs. the Chargers and Swift for the Golden Globes.
Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are over the moon in love and those closest to them can plainly see it. A source tells ET that the âKarmaâ singer and the Kansas City Chiefs tight end, both 34, are âcloser than ever before and…
Taylor Swift Buys ÂŁ10,000,000 House in London as a Date with the Incredible Travis Kelce
Taylor Swift is said to be buying a ÂŁ10million home in London â and it even comes with its own orangery. Eat your heart out, Hampton Court Palace! The 33-year-old recently became a billionaire so itâs no wonder sheâs looking to bulk up…
Taylor Swift’s Promise to Travis Kelce: “I’ll Do Whatever It Takes to Make YoĎ Happy aĐżd Realize YoĎ r Dreams”
In 2023, Taylor Swift experienced a year marked by significant career milestones and personal developments. The Grammy winner kicked off her monumental Eras Tour in March, setting a record for the highest-grossing tour of all time. The tour…
End of content
No more pages to load