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Caitlin Clark Causes Starstruck Sentiment From 2-Time NBA Champion

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark caused a former NBA champion to freeze when he had the opportunity to meet her.

Grant Young

Feb 2, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Former Iowa Hawkeyes player Caitlin Clark talks with the media before the game against the USC Trojans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will be retiring the jersey of Clark after the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images
Feb 2, 2025; Iowa City, Iowa, USA; Former Iowa Hawkeyes player Caitlin Clark talks with the media before the game against the USC Trojans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. The Hawkeyes will be retiring the jersey of Clark after the game. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images / Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has quickly become one of the most recognizable names and faces in the entire sports world, let alone among the basketball community.

It's staggering to consider just how much Clark's stardom increased after she left the Iowa Hawkeyes basketball program for the WNBA, especially given how popular she already was during her record-breaking NCAA tenure.

But the 23-year-old having shown that her college success would immediately translate into the professional game — proven by her finishing fourth in 2024 WNBA MVP voting — skyrocketed her stardom.

Now heading into her second WNBA season, Clark is continuing to build upon her huge audience. And this audience includes former professional basketball player and two-time NBA champion Mychal Thompson, who is the father of former Warriors legend and current Mavericks standout Klay Thompson.

During a recent interview with OutKick, Thompson (who was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1978 NBA Draft) said, "When I was Indy... the only thing I remember about Indy is, when I was leaving the Gainbridge Arena in the loading dock, Caitlin Clark walked right by me. And I froze. I didn't say hello to her. How about that?"

He then added, "My favorite basketball player outside of Klay was right there in front of me, there she was, and I said 'No, I can't [say something]'... But that's what I remember most about Indiana. Caitlin Clark was right there next to me."

It's hilarious to hear that the Caitlin Clark Effect extends to a former NBA champion and the father of one of the best shooters of all time.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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