Inside The Pinstripes

WNBA Icon Caitlin Clark Asserts Her Aaron Judge Adoration at Yankees Game

Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark made her feelings about Aaron Judge very clear during Saturday's Yankees game.

Grant Young

Aug 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after drawing a walk against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 7, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees center fielder Aaron Judge (99) reacts after drawing a walk against the Los Angeles Angels during the seventh inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Yankees are playing a doubleheader against the defending World Series champion Texas Rangers on Saturday.

And WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark showed up at Yankee Stadium to give the Yankees her support.

Clark is a generational basketball talent who became the all-time leader in points scored in Division I history (men's and women's) during her senior season at the University of Iowa.

She was then selected by the Indiana Fever with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft. And despite it still being her first professional season, Clark has already become a global superstar and the face of women's basketball.

The 22-year-old was interviewed by YES Network's Justin Shackil before Saturday's game, and was adamant about her adoration for Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

"Aaron Judge, obviously," Clark said when asked which Yankee she was most excited to meet. "That's the easy answer."

Shackil then asked Clark what makes Judge so great as a player.

"I think just his athleticism... he's such a great outfielder but he also just smashes home runs nonstop. So I'm a big fan and I know he's a big fan of mine. So I'm excited to meet him."

A photo of the two sports icons was shared by the Yankees' X account before Saturday's game.

Clark then joined the Yankees' YES Network broadcast during the third inning, and Judge was brought up once again.

"He's way bigger than even people think," Clark said about Judge. "You know he's big, but then when you get next to him, it's like, oh my gosh, he could probably play football or just about any sports he wants to. [He's] probably pretty good at basketball, too. But yeah, he's a good guy, down to earth."

Clark later added that, "He's huge. He's pretty swole, too. He's not just tall, he's pretty swole."

While Clark isn't currently considered the WNBA MVP frontrunner like Judge is for the American League, she is the favorite to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award. Therefore, both she and the Yankees' slugger may be adding more accolades to their already impressive résumés later this year.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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