WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark has revealed that her love for practicing meant that she backheeled soccer in favor of pursuing a career in basketball.

The Indiana Fever point guard’s decision has proven inspired, with the 22-year-old having helped to transform the popularity of the women’s game with her performances in recent years. Having first emerged on the collegiate scene with Iowa, she excelled in her maiden WNBA season en route to being named Rookie of the Year for 2024.

Breaking 11 league records in her first season in Indianapolis, Clark averaged 19.2 points, a league-high 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game during the regular season. The superstar has now opened up on her younger days as she explained how her chosen sport became her passion as she reflected on her career to date.

Having also enjoyed playing soccer, softball, golf, and track as a child, she explained during a press conference: “When I got into high school, I knew basketball was my future. I loved it, and I wanted to practice it. I think that was different. I wanted to get better. I wanted to spend time working on my game. That was probably what set that apart from all the other sports I played.

“[The other sports] were just fun with my friends. I was really competitive, but I didn’t take extra time out of my day to work on my game and be better than everybody else. I think that’s what helped me figure out the path I wanted to take.”

She added: “I had to give up soccer even though I loved it. It was just the will I had to want to get better at it. I loved practicing it, and at times, that’s not something everybody really likes to do or wants to do or is so passionate about, something they love. That told me I wanted to have a future in [basketball].”

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Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has proven a major draw for viewers during the infancy of her WNBA career

Indiana Fever superstar Caitlin Clark has proven a major draw for viewers during the infancy of her WNBA career ( 

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Joe Buglewicz/Getty Images)

Clark is currently enjoying a well-earned break from her WNBA commitments during the offseason and is preparing to make an appearance at a Pro-Am before The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge on the LPGA Tour. Looking forward to rubbing shoulders with a host of golfing stars, she admitted: “I don’t know what I signed up for. Free lessons. That’s how I’m looking at it. Pull my phone out and record every single one of [their] swings.

“I love doing these types of things. This is what I’m really passionate about. I’m passionate about women’s sports. For me, it’s fun. People think basketball is a job. No. I feel like I should find a job in the off-season. I get to play basketball every single day, and I know there are a lot of people who would kill to do that.

The Fever starlet added: “I just feel very fortunate. When they asked me to come down here, I was like, ‘Yeah, I can get away from the Indianapolis cold. I get to play golf with some of the best.’ This is amazing.”