"Got kicked out of PE class": $3.1M NIL-valued Caitlin Clark throws light on competitive attitude she fostered since childhood
Caitlin Clark has always been very competitive, and this mentality has played a part in her success in college basketball. The guard for the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team, who has an NIL valuation of $3.1 million according to On3, is the all-time leading point scorer in NCAA history.
ESPN recently did a feature on Clark and her rise to where she is now, and she spoke about her competitive nature.
"All I wanted to do was win," said Caitlin Clark. "No matter if it was a board game, a card game, I was going to do whatever it took to win. I got kicked out of PE class because I was too competitive." (1:56)
This competitive and tough nature that Clark has is, according to her, due to her brothers.
Caitlin has two brothers: Blake and Colin. Blake Clark was a quarterback for the Iowa State Cyclones, the Hawkeyes' in-state rivals. However, he barely played, only recording one pass attempt in the 2019 season when he was backup to current San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy. Blake spent most of his time with the Cyclones as a field goal holder.
It was Colin who had a greater impact on her basketball career. The two would battle each other in the Clark family home, with Caitlin recalling one incident between the pair that highlights her ultra-competitive nature.
"It was a snow day, so we didn't have school. We were hanging out in the basement, and I literally got so mad. I think he (Colin) had just scored on me ... I grabbed him with two hands and launched him against the wall." (2:23)
Finally, the feature from ESPN had a section where Caitlin talked about the goals that she had when she was a young child.
"My mom has this piece of paper when I was like in second or third grade, where you write down all your dreams in these little bubbles, and I remember one of them was to play in the WNBA and to earn a basketball scholarship." (1:25)
Has Caitlin Clark achieved these dreams?
One of the goals that Caitlin Clark mentioned has not been achieved yet, but it is almost certain to happen. Clark declared for the WNBA draft and is very likely to be the number one pick, which would check off her goal of playing in the WNBA.
As for her other dream to earn a basketball scholarship, this was achieved.
Clark received scholarships from many top basketball schools, including Duke, Notre Dame and Texas, as well as numerous other schools like her brother's Iowa State Cyclones.
However, she did not receive one from her "dream school" UConn. One could only imagine what the already dominant Huskies team would be like with the addition of Clark.
In the end, she chose to play for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and her competitive nature has allowed her to become a record-breaking athlete.
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