- Caitlin Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in the WNBA draft on Monday night.
- At Iowa, the 22-year-old grew into college basketball’s biggest star.
- DailyMail.com provides the latest international sports news.
Caitlin Clark has lifted the lid on her ‘wild journey’ to the WNBA, revealing she was in second grade when she first wrote down her dream of playing at the top of women’s basketball.
Clark is expected to be the No. 1 pick in Monday’s WNBA draft after an incredible college career that saw her lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to back-to-back national championship games.
The 22-year-old rose to become college basketball’s biggest star and enjoys the spotlight in the professional game.
“I think when you want to be one of the best players in the world, that comes with it,” she said. NBC News.
“This is something I wrote on a piece of paper when I was in second grade: ‘Get a basketball scholarship, play in the WNBA’; this is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
Caitlin Clark has lifted the lid on her ‘wild journey’ to the WNBA ahead of Monday’s draft
The Indiana Fever are expected to select Clark on Monday, and the guard will hear that season tickets are already “selling pretty well” in Indianapolis.
The 22-year-old expects her move to professional basketball to be a “learning curve,” but Clark knows she’s “earned it to be in this moment.”
“That’s always what I remind myself: You’re not here by accident,” she said.
Clark made history with the Hawkeyes, becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer and helping Iowa draw record-breaking viewership numbers.
The Hawkeye’s loss to South Carolina in this year’s national championship game drew a television audience of 18.7 million (4 million more than the men’s finale between UConn and Purdue), while the WNBA draft sold out in 15 minutes.
Clark grew to become college basketball’s biggest star while with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
“You’re late to the party,” he told the new sports fans. “Once we had the opportunity to showcase the product, people really loved it and wanted to invest even more in it.”
She added: “Let’s keep bringing (fans) in and want them to keep coming back for more.” Clark said being a role model for girls is “the reason” she plays.
“It’s very important to understand the huge impact this can have on a girl’s life,” she added. ‘So I always try to give them as much time as I can. And just seeing them shout your name or have your shirt on, that’s something that never gets old.’
Clark’s elevated profile saw her make a cameo on Saturday Night Live over the weekend.
The basketball star made a shocking appearance on Saturday Night Live ahead of the WNBA draft.
“I don’t get nervous about basketball games,” she said. “But being in front of a live audience on national television and doing something outside your comfort zone is a little scary. My heart was pounding out of my chest.’
The 22-year-old is scheduled to make her WNBA debut in May, just a few months before the Olympic Games. And Clark said she would “mean everything” to wear the USA jersey in Paris.
“That was one of my dreams as a kid…Growing up, you always want to be an Olympic gold medalist,” she said. “Luckily, I’ve been able to play for some youth national teams in their basketball system, so I know how special it is to represent the United States on your chest.”
Clark added: “To be able to do that at the highest level would certainly be a dream come true.”