Jan Jensen Noted 'Rare' Caitlin Clark Required Tough Adjustment From Iowa Teammates
Achieving and sustaining greatness on the basketball court demands a lot.
This has been conveyed through many stories people share about legends like Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, who commanded greatness from themselves and their teammates.
Indiana Fever icon Caitlin Clark exudes that same sort of greatness. And in a November 26 interview with Chris Mailander, Jan Jensen (who is now the Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball team's head coach and was an assistant coach when Clark played there) detailed how Clark's pursuit of greatness might have initially rubbed some teammates the wrong way.
"You had to get everybody else understanding how rare she was," Jensen said of Clark. "We had to work really hard on the chemistry and culture piece... when Caitlin came in, she had such a high expectation. And if you study Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, they were really big on trust and basketball IQ.
"So for Caitlin, if she didn't think you were in the gym as much as you should be, then we're... not gonna pass you the ball," Jensen continued. "Because my shot from 40 [feet] is going to be more consistent than maybe yours is from 15."
When speaking about these unnamed teammates, Jensen said, "They think they work hard. Their maybe 100 shots after practice is what they've always done, and they get their feelings hurt. Because... [Clark] looks them off, she doesn't pass. Now, typical, well their feelings are hurt... She might believe in you, but at that moment, the pass, she doesn't believe you've put in the work as much as she has to take the shot."
Jensen then said, "For the Kobes, the Jordans, the Caitlins, the Diana Taurasis, it was never personal. We just wanted to win the effing game."
Jan Jensen talking about Caitlin integrating when she first got to Iowa and how she had to get people to understand her Kobe like mentality.#wnba #Feverrising
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) November 29, 2024
Full Video Here: https://t.co/jaYMGSasjf pic.twitter.com/uTJzHh7ip9
These high expectations worked out pretty well for Clark.
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.