Caitlin Clark was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. She is currently 6 feet tall and weighs 152 lbs. Clark is the point guard for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA and was the team's first draft pick in 2024. With her exceptional basketball skills, Clark has been an icon and role model to many young athletes, especially girls. The increased interest in women’s basketball, and later in the WNBA, is mostly because of the Caitlin Clark Effect.

Caitlin Clark’s Early Life and Career

Clark was into basketball at a very young age and was impressively good at it. Her grandfather noticed that 5-year-old Caitlin could already dribble well and analyze plays on the court. Her competitiveness and determination showed at a young age, both of which she brought into winning in her career.

High School 

Clark was a high school standout at the Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa. During her junior year, she registered 60 points in a single game. Within the same year, she helped the U.S. Women’s Team win gold in the U19 World Championship. When she graduated in 2020, Clark had an impressive 2,547 career points to her name.

Clark’s College Stardom

Her exceptional talent just became better and better each succeeding year. Clark decided to play for the University of Iowa, where her stardom took a great start. In her freshman year (2020-21), Clark was named the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year, registering an average of 26.6 points and 7.1 assists per game. In 2021, she helped the U.S. Women’s Team win gold again in the U-19 World Championship and was named the tournament’s MVP.

During Clark’s sophomore year (2021-22), she went up to average 27 points, 8 assists, and 8 rebounds a game. In the 2022 NCAA women’s basketball tournaments, the Hawkeyes were the number two seed. Unfortunately, Creighton University claimed an upset victory against them in the second round. 

Her junior year (2022-23) wasn’t short of an improvement, as Clark raised her scoring average to 27.8 points. She was even named Player of the Year by the Associated Press for women’s college basketball. The ‘Caitlin Clark Effect’ recorded 9.9 million TV viewers for their semifinal match against the University of Louisville. Clark dominated the game with 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists to victory. 

Clark’s senior year (2023-24) skyrocketed her fame, earning about a million followers on Instagram. Her games were sold out and had millions of TV and online views. Clark was phenomenal on the court, registering a career-high 49 points during their dominant win against the University of Michigan. 

NBA Hall of Famer and legend Shaq O’Neal even called Clark the ‘best collegiate female player ever.’ Caitlin was also named the most prolific scorer in NCAA basketball history.

Clark’s WNBA Career

Clark was selected as the number one pick by the Indiana Fevers in the 2024 WNBA draft. It was an outstanding year for Clark as she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game. She’s also the record-holder for most points by a rookie at 769 points and most assists by a rookie at 337 points. Caitlin Clark was also named the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year. 

Caitlin Clark’s Personal Life

Caitlin Clark’s parents are Brent Clark and Anne Nizzi-Clark. Her father played basketball and baseball in college, while her mother worked in marketing. Her older brother, Blake, played American football for Iowa State–clearly, excellence in sports runs in the blood. 

As for her romantic life, Clark is dating Connor McCaffery. McCaffery also played basketball at the University of Iowa but later moved to coaching. His father, Fran McCaffery, is Connor’s own inspiration. Fran coaches the men's basketball team at Iowa State.

Clark and McCaffery went public in August 2023. They have been sharing photos during special occasions on their Instagram accounts since then.

Clark’s Achievements

Caitlin Clark’s career is full of highlights of achievements that she has garnered over the years. Here are some individual records she has during her NCAA years:

Following the end of her rookie year, here are some of her achievements:

• WNBA All-Star (2024)
• WNBA Assists leader (2024)
• Rookie of the Year (2024)
• All-WNBA Team (2024)
• Week 9, Week 10, Week 11 - WNBA Player of the Week: 2024
• August - WNBA Player of the Month: 2024

What is Caitlin Clark’s net worth?

According to Yahoo.com, Caitlin Clark’s net worth for 2024 is estimated to be $3.8 million. This includes her WNBA contract, previous NIL value, endorsement deals, and brand partnerships. 

Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Salary

Clark was the first overall draft pick by the Indiana Fever in 2024. Her four-year contract with the team cost $338,000. Clark’s annual earnings are as follows:

Clark’s Endorsement Deals and Brand Partnerships

Caitlin Clark has multiple endorsement deals with big brands such as Nike, Gatorade, Bose, and State Farm. Being the first female athlete to launch a collection with Wilson Sporting Goods also increased her net worth. 

Clark's biggest brand partnership is the 8-year contract with Nike, estimated to be worth $28 million. Although other brands, such as Adidas and Under Armour, made offers, Clark remained loyal to Nike. Their contract includes promotional appearances and product endorsements. Signature shoes for Clark are also possibly already in the making. Since her college days, Clark has been promoting Nike and vice versa.