Few players in any sport have burst onto the scene in recent memory quite like Caitlin Clark.
A native of West Des Moines, Clark was a five-star recruit out of high school who more than lived up to the hype. She had a record-setting college career in Iowa, where she never missed a game over four seasons and finished as the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer.
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Over 139 games in her college career, Clark scored a total of 3,951 points, 990 rebounds and 1,144 assists. Her points record took down former LSU player Pete Maravich’s record that stood for over 50 years.
The Indiana Fever won the Clark sweepstakes by finishing with the worst record in the WNBA in 2023. As expected, they selected her with the first overall pick in the 2024 Draft.
Clark, a two-time National Player of the Year in college, joined 2023 No. 1 pick Aliyah Boston, 2022 No. 2 pick NaLyssa Smith, and 2018 No. 2 pick Kelsey Mitchell on the Fever roster.
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See photos below of draft night, Clark’s introduction and debut.
Clark did not disappoint. She burst on the scene with one of the best rookie seasons in league history. She set a WNBA record for assists in a game (19), became the first rookie to post a triple-double, set the league record for assists in a season and had the most points and 3-pointers by a rookie in league history.
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She helped lead the Fever to a playoff berth for the first time in eight years, capping a remarkable turnaround for the team that had the worst record in the league before her arrival.
After Clark’s 2024 season ended, IndyStar asked Dr. Ryan Brewer, associate professor of finance at Indiana University Columbus, to put a price tag on the rookie phenom, what she had meant financially to the WNBA, her city and the country.
“The numbers are so staggering,” Brewer told IndyStar’s Dana Hunsinger Benbow at the time. “They don’t even seem real.”
Stephanie White was named the Indiana Fever coach for the second time ahead of the 2025 season.
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White is an Indiana basketball hero, earning the highest individual honor in high school basketball, winning a national championship in college and playing for her home state team in the pros.
The duo quickly developed a close relationship, and Clark credited White for helping her through a difficult season marred by injuries.
Clark was limited to 13 games in 2025 because of various injuries, including left quad, left groin, right groin and a left ankle bone bruise.
She didn’t play after July 15, when she suffered the right groin injury that ultimately put her out for the season. She averaged 16.5 points, 8.8 assists and 5 rebounds in 13 games.
Clark was itching to get back on the court in 2026 to prove she could stay healthy and get back to her record-setting ways. That’s exactly what she did.
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Clark was a force in her third season with the Fever on and off the court. She helped lead Team USA to a FIBA Women’s World Cup gold medal, earned an All-Star nod and another Fever playoff berth.
She averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds, with 44.6% shooting accuracy, 36.1% on 3-pointers and 85.2% on free throws in the regular season, earning WNBA Comeback Player of the Year honors.
Caitlin Clark made 50 3-pointers on her birthday in 2025 during an Indiana Fever workout, and the superstar has become known for her long-range shooting and accuracy.
