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
Meg Sabotaged R.Stewart’s Yacht In Sardinia After He Refused To Let Her Join: GO TO HELL, OLD MAN!
**Rod Stewart Prioritizes Family Over Royal Invitation for Sardinian Yacht Cruise** In a surprising turn of events, Rod Stewart, the legendary British rocker, declined an invitation from Prince Harry to join his family on a luxurious yacht cruise in Sardinia….
Insane Haz Rushed To SLAP Christie Brinkley As She Kick Him Out Of 2024 Polo Hamptons Match: B!TCH!
**Christie Brinkley Confronts Prince Harry at 2024 Polo Hamptons Match: ‘You’re Not Welcome!’** At the 2024 Polo Hamptons match, Christie Brinkley took decisive action, demanding Prince Harry’s removal due to his uninvited presence. The unexpected incident turned the usually glamorous…
Rare Footage Captured! Usher Humiliated Meg AT 24 BET Award As She Seduce Him! Am NOT Ur Victims
**Rare Footage Captured! Usher Humiliates Meghan Markle at 2024 BET Awards as She Attempts to Seduce Him** Rare footage from the 2024 BET Awards has surfaced, capturing a controversial interaction between Meghan Markle and Usher. The incident, marked by Meghan’s…
Can I Call You a Dad? | Emotional Adoptions
Can I Call You a Dad? | Emotional Adoptions Imagine the pure, unadulterated joy of welcoming a child into your home – a child who will look to you as their guiding light, their protector, and their source of unconditional…
Mom Has To Stop Herself From Laughing As She Films Toddlers On A Mission
Toddlers on a Mission: A Mom’s Hysterical Adventure! Oh my goodness, you guys, you have to see this! I was rolling on the floor laughing the other day as I watched my little ones embark on the most hilarious mission…
Dec Donnelly POKES FUN at Ant McPartlinâs new fatherhood status as the PAIR LAUNCH the first Britainâs Got Talent semi-final
Declan Donnelly poked fun at Ant McPartlinâs new fatherhood status as the pair launched the first Britainâs Got Talent semi-final on Monday night. Ant, 48, and his wife Anne-Marie, 46, welcomed son Wilder â Antâs first child â on May 14, and he announced the happy…
End of content
No more pages to load