His name began to become popular nationally a year ago when he led the University of Iowa basketball team to the NCAA championship game. But it was in the campaign that just ended when Caitlin Clark caused a true media explosion: a shower of records, including the most points scored for any college basketball player – male or female.numerous baskets “from the logo” of the half court that went viral, and another captivating trip to the Final Four.
Caitlin Clark, 22, failed to win the national championship in her second consecutive final, but her real triumph was the 18.7 million viewers who on average watched the duel between Iowa and South Carolina on April 7. According to ESPN, it is the highest rating in five years for any basketball game, including the NBA Finals.
Clark was selected this Monday with the first overall pick in the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever team, thus beginning her professional stage.
“I know there are a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes when I was on the Iowa team and Now that I’m moving on, I hope the same eyes continue to be on me,” says Clark in an exclusive interview with Real America News, the first media in Spanish to have a good chat with the new superstar. of sports and, without exaggeration, the person of the moment in the United States.
The interview took place in Los Angeles, where Clark received the John R. Wooden Award for the second year in a row, the most prestigious awarded to college basketball players and which rewards the most outstanding player of each year.
Below, most of the interview with the girl from Des Moines, Iowa, who is leading a revolution in sports.
Caitlin Clark, what an incredible honor to be here with you. How are you?
Well, thanks for having me with you.
Winner of the Wooden Trophy for the second time. Nation’s Player of the Year twice in a row. How are you feeling excited about the future right now?
Yeah. I think I’m definitely excited. It was a special year. Just everything that happened within women’s sports and the way women’s sports grew, especially women’s basketball. Being able to be a part of that and make it all the way to the championship game; obviously we made the Final Four in consecutive years. But it’s definitely a quick change as I turn professional and start a new chapter in my life, but it’s something I want to do and I’m excited about it. A quick turnaround, you know, but these are super special moments, so I’m savoring it and enjoying it.
I have to ask you: have you purchased an insurance policy for your hands?
What if I have secured my hands? No, but maybe I should (laughs)… I like that question… What you say sounds interesting.
What is the price to pay for a player, an athlete like you, who has won everything you have won, all these achievements? I mean, I guess there are a lot of sacrifices and discipline, is there a price you can explain to us?
Yes, I think the most important thing is to play at this level, there is a lot of sacrifice as you said, and I think the important thing is to enjoy every second, but also work very hard, that’s why you are right now. There are things that you have to sacrifice in life, but there are also very good opportunities that you get through sport and that is something that I have been lucky to enjoy, just like my family, my teammates. I think that’s the most important thing.
Caitlin Clark: good student first and athlete second
You established 45 records in college basketball, many awards and global admiration. Why is it special or important to you to be here to receive the John R. Wooden Award?
I think the Wooden Award is first class, everything they do here. But it also completely represents the student-athlete: from your character to your academic success, obviously your athletic success. That was the way I was raised by my parents; When I was little there were many things more than just basketball. Whether it was how you treat your friends, how I treat my siblings, whether I did a good job in school. That was something that I always had to accomplish first before I could play any sport and have the opportunity to go to training and things like that. I think that’s what the Wooden Award is about: it looks at the complete student-athlete. And obviously if you play college sports you have to have good grades to be able to play and that is something super important. And that is why the Wooden Prize stands out from the rest.
You mentioned being a student. What is more difficult, being an All-American player or an All-American student like you are?
Probably… that’s a good question. Both are equally difficult in their own ways. Honestly, maybe being an All-American student. That’s really hard to do because you’re trying to balance studying and doing your best, but at the same time you have basketball, you have practice, you’re basically like at a full-time job.
Brent and Anne, your father and mother, did an incredible job with you, Caitlin. But where does your love for basketball come from?
I think the most important thing is that I grew up playing all kinds of sports, whether it was soccer, whether it was basketball, whether it was tennis, I ran track. I did everything, I loved being active. I have an older brother and I wanted to be like him, so if he had basketball practice or any other practice I wanted to go with him. If he was in the neighborhood playing sports, I wanted to do the same with him. I would say my older brother was a huge inspiration to me. My dad played sports in college. There are a lot of people that I grew up wanting to emulate and they were involved with sports. It’s really what I knew and what I wanted to do too. I would say that’s the biggest thing that inspired me or how I wanted to get into sports, was those people that surrounded me every day.
“Work hard and have fun”: Caitlin Clark and her approach to the WNBA
You elevated women’s college basketball and the expectation is that you will do the same in the professional, in the WNBA. What a challenge you are going to face. Many people have many expectations. Does it feel like more pressure for you?
I honestly feel like it’s been part of my career to be under pressure the past two years, so I don’t feel like there’s any extra pressure. I think the most important thing is that I’ve gone about my business the same way every day since I was in high school. Just work hard and have fun, I have a lot of confidence and I think that is the basis of all the work I do. I know there are a lot of eyes on me, a lot of eyes when I was on the Iowa team and now that I’m moving on I hope the same eyes are still on me. But I don’t have that feeling of pressure; Me being that it’s something exciting, fun, something that I can embrace, something that a lot of people don’t have the opportunity to do, so I’m super lucky, more than anything.
3,951 (points scored) or 18.7 (millions of viewers in the final). Which number is more important and special?
18.7… Let’s go!
What was the message from the most famous person or rather the best congratulatory message you have received in the last few days or weeks?
God… I have received many. It’s hard. It’s been fun going through all of them, you know, whether they’re from celebrities and famous people, or whether they’re from people that I grew up playing sports with that I haven’t talked to in a long time. You put your life in perspective as to where you started and where you are now and you are grateful for the entire journey. And obviously my family too. They can live all this with me. I could name a million people, but I think the most important thing is that I try to respond to every person who has contacted me and who has supported me along the way because I never take that lightly. I’m super lucky and fortunate to have such a support system, fans across the country, across the world that have loved every second of what I’ve been able to do at the University of Iowa and I hope that continues at the next level as well. .
We loved watching Sabrina Ionescu challenge Steph Curry in the past NBA All-Star (3-point shooting competition). We can all see you there. Do you want to do it?
Yes of course. I’m definitely excited for the WNBA season and like you said, Sabrina is a person that I grew up idolizing, watching how she played, I tried to model my game after hers. And Steph too. Steph is amazing at everything she does and is obviously loved here in California. So they’re both people that I grew up admiring and they’re people that have reached out to me and supported me on my journey. I hope I can be there by her side one day. It would be very nice.
I know that the WNBA is going to be a great challenge. I’m sure you’re going to be simply stellar in your professionalism. But I wonder… do you feel like you can play with NBA players?
No… The NBA is a different league. I could never set foot in the NBA.
Caitlin Clark’s other great legacy: empowering girls and boys
How about women’s empowerment that you have promoted throughout this process, you as an athlete and also other women in other fields?
Yes, I think one of the best things along my path is that I hope that I have been able to empower people to play basketball, I hope that by playing basketball I have helped young girls dream big in whatever they want to do. That’s what I’ve always said: whether you want to be a doctor, a veterinarian, or whether you want to be an artist or a musician, whatever you want to be, I hope that I have inspired you to dream and go after what you want because That’s exactly what my parents did and they never limited me in anything. Obviously it requires a lot of hard work, it requires a lot of passion, you have to sacrifice many things that perhaps other people would not sacrifice to get to where you want to go, but that is the most important thing, to inspire others, to go in search of what they want. and I hope they get it one day.
What have you learned in the past two years and especially the past few months about yourself and your success?
I think the most important thing in the past two years and even the last year is to live every second, because everything happens so fast. I look back and feel like I was just a “freshman” in school and now I’m graduating and my life has changed a lot. The way people have supported women’s basketball has changed a lot. That’s the way I treated my last year. Looking around, living every second, like these moments are really special and yeah, that’s the most important thing. Soak it all in, take nothing for granted.
Caitlin, there is some girl or boy out there struggling mentally, emotionally or physically. What message can Caitlin Clark send to all these kids who may not be having a good time today?
I think the most important thing is to lean on your support system. That is what has also allowed me to be very successful. I’m not here just for myself. It hasn’t been like that. There have been good days, there have been bad days; There have been ups and there have been downs. Not everything has been rainbows and everything perfect. I think it’s life. There are difficult moments in life and you have to lean on the people around you, be it your parents, be it your teacher, be it your coach, whoever, a brother, a friend. That’s the most important thing, that there are people around you to support you. That’s what I’ve been through in my career, that’s what I’ve been through in my life and I would say that’s my biggest message to the kids.
Where do you find your strength to face all the challenges every day in your still young career?
I think having a good perspective about sports is what has allowed me to work through every challenge I have faced. For me, in my life, basketball is not the end of everything. There is so much more to life and I don’t find validation with the number of points I scored or how many games I played in. For me it’s just having fun, enjoying it, at the end of the day it’s just a game. I could stop playing basketball right now and be just as happy as a person and move on with my life and do other things. I think that’s what I always try to remember, but it’s also the way I was raised. Sports are not the end all be all, it is not what should make you who you are; It’s just something you dedicate yourself to and what you love to do. And I think that’s what has allowed me to be very successful in my career. I don’t know. I give everything I have to basketball, but it’s not what makes me me at the end of the day. That is the most important.
Message from the basketball star: do not live on social networks
Finally, something that I consider a very important question. What would you like to see in the United States to make it a better country?
I think only more love and peace. I would say that is the most important thing. I think there is too much hate in the world right now. I think everyone appreciating others for who they are and loving each other. I think it’s the way I lead my life and the way I was raised. That is the most important.
Isn’t it amazing to see all this hate and negativity about everything on social media?
I think that’s what social media is… I think social media is not the best place to be. I think one thing I’ve tried to do over the course of my career is not to be on social media too much and you never want to find your validation from people through that medium. You should care more about the people in your circle. I would say that I only care about the opinion of my family and the people within our locker room: my teammates and my coaches. That’s all I have to worry about. If you live like this, you will be in a very good place.
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