Caitlin Clark doesn’t have an off switch.
After making a name for herself as an All-American point guard at Iowa State and becoming the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I women’s and men’s basketball, the Indiana Fever guard explained the difficult side of life in the spotlight. .
“What’s the hardest thing about being Caitlin Clark? I think it’s having to feel like you’re always on,” Clark said on ESPN+’s four-part series “Full Court,” which premiered Saturday.・Press” “There are days when I’m not feeling well, and there are days when I don’t want to talk to anyone.
“But someone comes up to you and this is your 10-second interaction. So you better smile and be nice. But at the same time, sometimes you want to be normal.”
Last month, Clark, 22, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, and her boyfriend Connor McCaffrey were photographed going out for breakfast at the Dandelion Lion in Iowa City at the time.
It was Jan. 13, the day after Iowa State’s dominant 84-57 victory over Indiana.
As the couple waited for a table at the front door, several fans passed by and complimented Clark, saying things like “you’re amazing” and “you were amazing.”
One woman said, “I drove from Chicago to see you yesterday and to meet the whole team.”
Clark, an Iowa native, then went outside to take pictures with fans.
As she and McCaffery were sitting at a table eating, another fan walked up and said, “Good game,” and then gave her a high-five.
After the fans left, Clark’s smile quickly disappeared, and his expression darkened as he drank water.
“This is not the same as before. You and I can’t just walk around like nobody knows who you are. That’s not the reality of the situation,” McCaffrey said. said in the documentary. “And I think there’s still a moment where she realizes, ‘Damn, that sucks.'”
It’s unclear when Clark and McCaffrey, who currently works as a team assistant for the Indiana Pacers, started dating. She announced their relationship on social media in August 2023.
Clark’s life changed dramatically after his rise to fame at Iowa State. Her celebrity helped boost the economy and sold out season tickets at Carver-Hawkeye Arena for the first time in program history.
According to one source, the sold-out crowds of fans from all over the country to see Clark had an economic impact of $82.5 million for the state’s economy. Report from the Common Sense Institute.
Clark’s star power played a huge role in the growth and dominance of women’s college basketball during March Madness, which then carried over to the WNBA.
Zach Boyden-Holmes/The Register/USA TODAY NETWORK
The 2024 WNBA Draft was watched by 2.45 million people, making it the most-watched draft in history.
Several teams, including the Aces, Mystics and Sparks, moved arenas to accommodate fans when they played Clark and the Fever.
Some WNBA teams have increased ticket prices for games against Indiana. According to Front Office Sports.
The WNBA also finally launched a charter program to allow teams to cancel commercial flights.
The Fever open the 2024 WNBA season Tuesday against the Sun in Connecticut at 8 p.m.
Episodes 3 and 4 of “Full Court Press” premiere Sundays at 12:30pm ET on ABC and streamed live on the ESPN app. After the initial broadcast, all episodes will be available on demand on ESPN+.
