Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Caitlin Clark

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Caitlin Clark made an impact.

Caitlin Clark is a highly accomplished American professional basketball player currently playing for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA. She is widely considered one of the greatest female collegiate players of all time. Clark achieved remarkable success at the University of Iowa, where she twice earned the title of national college basketball player of the year and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer. Known for her exceptional shooting range, playmaking skills, and overall flair, she has played a significant role in boosting the popularity of women's basketball, leading to what has been called the 'Caitlin Clark effect'.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

1993: Iowa reached its first Final Four since 1993

In 1993, Iowa reached its first Final Four in women's basketball since 1993, marking a significant milestone for the program.

1999: Elena Delle Donne's Career

In 1999-2000, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware was the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points.

2000: Elena Delle Donne's Career

In 1999-2000, Elena Delle Donne of Delaware was the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points.

2017: Represents US at FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship

In 2017, Caitlin Clark represented the United States at the FIBA Under-16 Women's Americas Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina, averaging 8.8 points per game and helping her team win the gold medal.

2018: All Iowa Attack Wins Nike Elite Youth Basketball League Championship

In the summer of 2018, Caitlin Clark led the All Iowa Attack to win the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League championship, scoring 23 points in a 64–61 victory over the Cal Storm in the final.

February 4, 2019: Clark Scores 60 Points

On February 4, 2019, during her junior season, Caitlin Clark scored 60 points in a 90–78 win against Mason City High School, marking the second-highest single-game point total in Iowa five-on-five girls' basketball history. She also set a state single-game record with 13 three-pointers.

November 12, 2019: Clark Commits to Iowa

On November 12, 2019, Caitlin Clark announced her commitment to play college basketball for the University of Iowa, choosing them over offers from Iowa State and Notre Dame.

2019: Plays at FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup

In 2019, Caitlin Clark played at the FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Bangkok, Thailand, where she averaged 5.3 points per game and won another gold medal with her team.

2019: NCAA Tournament most viewed game

In 2019, Clark's final game was the most viewed NCAA tournament game.

November 25, 2020: Collegiate Debut

On November 25, 2020, Caitlin Clark made her collegiate debut for Iowa, recording 27 points, eight rebounds, and four assists in a 96–81 win over Northern Iowa.

January 6, 2021: Clark Scores 37 Against Minnesota

On January 6, 2021, Caitlin Clark recorded 37 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in a 92–79 win against Minnesota.

November 9, 2021: Sophomore Season Debut

On November 9, 2021, Caitlin Clark made her sophomore season debut, recording 26 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a 93–50 win over New Hampshire.

2021: Leads US to gold medal at FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup

In 2021, Caitlin Clark competed at the FIBA Under-19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary, leading the United States to the gold medal. She averaged a team-high 14.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.3 rebounds per game, and was named Most Valuable Player.

January 2, 2022: Clark Scores 44 Against Evansville

On January 2, 2022, Caitlin Clark posted 44 points and eight assists in a 93–56 win over Evansville, breaking the Carver–Hawkeye Arena women's single-game scoring record.

January 16, 2022: Clark Records Triple-Double Against Nebraska

On January 16, 2022, Caitlin Clark recorded her fourth career triple-double, with 31 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in a 93–83 victory over Nebraska.

March 5, 2022: Clark Leads Iowa to Big Ten Tournament Title

On March 5, 2022, Caitlin Clark recorded 41 points and nine rebounds in an 83–66 win over Nebraska in the semifinals of the Big Ten tournament. She led Iowa to the title and was named the tournament's most outstanding player (MOP).

March 2022: "Team Up Against Hunger" Partnership

In March 2022, Caitlin Clark partnered with the Coralville Community Food Pantry in Coralville, Iowa, for a month-long donation push and meet-and-greet to "Team Up Against Hunger", encouraging $22 donations.

January 23, 2023: Clark Records 28 Points Against Ohio State

On January 23, 2023, Caitlin Clark recorded 28 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in an 83–72 win over AP No. 2 Ohio State, who were previously unbeaten.

October 2023: Forms the Caitlin Clark Foundation

In October 2023, Caitlin Clark formed the Caitlin Clark Foundation, a nonprofit organization with a mission "to uplift and improve the lives of youth and their communities through education, nutrition, and sport."

2023: Helps national championship game become most-viewed women's college basketball game in history

As a junior, Caitlin Clark helped the 2023 national championship game become the most-viewed women's college basketball game in history (9.9 million), demonstrating her significant impact on the sport's popularity.

2023: Signing with Excel Sports Management and Spokesperson for State Farm

In 2023, Caitlin Clark signed with Excel Sports Management and became the first college athlete to be a spokesperson for State Farm, appearing in national television commercials.

2023: Clark recorded 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds against Louisville in the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament

In 2023, during the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament, Caitlin Clark recorded 41 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 97–83 win over Louisville. She became the first player in men's or women's tournament history to record a 30 or 40-point triple-double. During the game, Clark became the first Division I player to record at least 900 points and 300 assists in a single season. She was named the Seattle 4 Regional Most Outstanding Player. In the Final Four, she posted 41 points, eight assists, and six rebounds in a 77–73 upset win over undefeated defending champion South Carolina, ending their 42-game winning streak. She broke the single-game scoring record for the women's tournament semifinals and became the first player in tournament history with consecutive 40-point games. Clark also surpassed the program and Big Ten single-season scoring records held by Megan Gustafson. Though Clark had 30 points against LSU in the national championship, Iowa lost the game, 102–85. With 191 points in the tournament, Clark broke the men's and women's scoring records for a single NCAA tournament. Her 60 assists were the most by a player in women's tournament history.

2023: Docuseries filming

In the 2023-2024 season, Caitlin Clark was filmed for the ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press.

January 31, 2024: Clark broke the Big Ten all-time scoring record

On January 31, 2024, Caitlin Clark posted 35 points and 10 assists in a 110–74 win over Northwestern, breaking the Big Ten all-time scoring record held by Kelsey Mitchell of Ohio State.

February 29, 2024: Clark announced she would declare for the 2024 WNBA draft

On February 29, 2024, Caitlin Clark announced that she would declare for the 2024 WNBA draft, forgoing her fifth season of eligibility. She was projected to be the first overall pick.

March 2024: Partnerships with Panini and Gainbridge

In March 2024, Caitlin Clark became the first female athlete to have an exclusive partnership with Panini, signing a multi-year contract with the trading card company. In the same month, she signed a multiyear sponsorship with Gainbridge, joining Billie Jean King and Annika Sörenstam as brand ambassadors.

March 2024: Invited to US national team training camp for Summer Olympics

In March 2024, Caitlin Clark was one of 14 players, and the only college player, to receive an invitation from the United States national team to the final training camp for the 2024 Summer Olympics, though she could not attend due to the NCAA tournament.

April 15, 2024: Selected as first overall pick in WNBA draft

On April 15, 2024, Caitlin Clark was selected as the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, marking a significant milestone in her career.

April 2024: Pending Nike Deal

In April 2024, it was reported that Caitlin Clark had a pending eight-year, $28 million contract between Clark and Nike, which would include a signature shoe deal, which would be the largest sponsorship deal ever for a women's basketball player.

May 2024: Executive Producer for ESPN+ Docuseries "Full Court Press"

In May 2024, Caitlin Clark served as an executive producer on the ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press, which followed three women's college basketball players, including Clark herself, during the 2023–24 season.

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May 2024: Deal with Wilson Sporting Goods

In May 2024, Caitlin Clark signed a multi-year deal with Wilson Sporting Goods and became the first athlete to release a signature Wilson basketball collection since Michael Jordan, and the first female athlete to ever do so.

June 7, 2024: Clark scores 30 points and ties rookie single-game record

On June 7, 2024, Caitlin Clark scored 30 points and tied Crystal Robinson's rookie single-game record with seven three-pointers, while also tallying eight rebounds, six assists and four steals, leading her team to an 85–83 win over the Washington Mystics.

August 18, 2024: Sets new WNBA rookie assist record

On August 18, 2024, Caitlin Clark set a new WNBA rookie assist record, surpassing the 225 assist record previously held by Ticha Penicheiro since 1998, in a 92–75 win over the Seattle Storm.

November 2024: Joins NWSL Expansion Team Ownership

In November 2024, Caitlin Clark joined the ownership group intending to bring an expansion National Women's Soccer League team to Cincinnati.

2024: Raised over $100,000 for Coralville Community Food Pantry

As of 2024, Caitlin Clark has helped raise over $100,000 for Coralville Community Food Pantry.

2024: Clark's final three games broke viewership record

At the 2024 NCAA tournament, Caitlin Clark's final three games each broke the women's college basketball viewership record, culminating with 18.9 million viewers for the national championship game, which was the most-viewed basketball game at any level since 2019 and the first women's NCAA tournament final to draw more viewers than the men's final.

2024: Clark's Premiere WNBA Season

In 2024, Caitlin Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft and quickly became a premier guard, earning WNBA Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA First Team honors. She also set league single-season and single-game records in assists, broke the rookie scoring record, and became the first rookie to achieve a triple-double in the league.

2024: Jason Gay writes about Clark changing the dimensionality of the game

In 2024, The Wall Street Journal columnist Jason Gay wrote: "Clark is far from the first great shooter in women's basketball, but she's the one who is changing the dimensionality of the game, because of the distance she can shoot from and how well she can pass."

2024: Clark continued to break records during the 2024 Big Ten and NCAA tournaments

In 2024, during the Hawkeyes' quarterfinal win over Penn State at the Big Ten tournament, Clark surpassed Stephen Curry of Davidson and Darius McGhee of Liberty for the most three-pointers in a single season by any Division I player regardless of gender. In a semifinal win over Michigan, she became the first Division I women's player to score at least 1,000 points in two different seasons and passed Mitchell as the career leading scorer in the Big Ten tournament. Clark led Iowa to its third straight Big Ten tournament title and was named MOP after recording 34 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a 94–89 overtime win over Nebraska in the final. In the second round of the NCAA tournament, Clark scored 32 points and surpassed Kelsey Plum for the most points in a single season in Division I women's history, leading Iowa to a 64–54 win over West Virginia. The Elite Eight saw a rematch of the 2023 national championship game against LSU, where Clark had 41 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a 94–87 victory, leading the Hawkeyes to their second straight Final Four and a school-record 33 wins and being named Albany 2 Regional MOP. Her nine three-pointers tied the most by a player in an NCAA tournament game. She surpassed Taylor Robertson's record of 537, set in five seasons at Oklahoma, to become the all-time Division I leader in three-pointers. Clark also broke NCAA tournament career marks in assists and three-pointers, held by Temeka Johnson of LSU and Diana Taurasi of UConn, respectively. In the Final Four, she posted 21 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in a 71–69 win over UConn, as Iowa reached the national championship game for a second consecutive season. Clark had 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists in an 87–75 loss to South Carolina, the number one overall seed, in the title game. She scored 18 points in the first quarter, the most by a player in a single period in championship game history. She also surpassed Chamique Holdsclaw of Tennessee for the NCAA tournament career scoring record.

January 2025: Caitlin Clark Foundation and Scholastic Partnership

In January 2025, on Caitlin Clark's 23rd birthday, the Caitlin Clark Foundation teamed up with Scholastic and their national literacy program, United States of Readers. Additionally, the foundation announced its plan to donate 22,000 books to under-resourced elementary and middle schools in both Iowa and Indiana through the United States of Readers program.

February 9, 2025: Nike Super Bowl Commercial

On February 9, 2025, Caitlin Clark appeared in a 90-second Nike commercial in the 2025 Super Bowl featuring some of the world's top female athletes.

March 2025: Community Courts Initiative

In March 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation began a partnership with Musco and introduced the foundation's new "Community Courts Initiative". The foundation announced plans for new Musco Mini-Pitch Systems, multipurpose recreation courts made for sports like soccer, futsal, and basketball, to be installed in four middle schools within the Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) district. Also in March 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation teamed up with Hy-Vee to raise funds to support childhood nutrition for local food banks across the Midwest via a month-long donation drive.

April 2025: Hy-Vee releases a limited-edition Cool Blue Gatorade bottle, featuring Clark

In April 2025, Hy-Vee released a limited-edition Cool Blue Gatorade bottle, featuring Caitlin Clark, sold exclusively at Hy-Vee.

May 2025: Feeding America Donation

In May 2025, the Caitlin Clark Foundation presented a $300,802 donation to Feeding America at the Food Bank of Iowa from their round-up campaign, which is estimated to provide about 3 million meals to food insecure communities in the Midwest.

May 17, 2025: Records third career triple-double in season opener

On May 17, 2025, Caitlin Clark opened her second year in the WNBA with a dominant performance, recording her third career triple-double with 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, in the Fever's 93–58 win over the Chicago Sky.

June 2025: Nike Kobe 5 "Indiana Fever" Release and Kobe 6 "The Bellas" Debut

In June 2025, the "Caitlin Clark Kobe 5 'Indiana Fever'" PEs sold out immediately upon release. Also in June 2025, Caitlin Clark debuted another PE with Nike, a Kobe 6 Protro called "The Bellas", in honor of Clark's family dog.

August 2025: Partnership with Stanley

In August 2025, Caitlin Clark became the first female athlete to form a multi-year partnership with Stanley.

August 25, 2025: Nike Introduces Caitlin Clark as Signature Athlete

On August 25, 2025, Nike introduced Caitlin Clark as their newest signature athlete and revealed her signature logo. Her logo apparel collection is to drop in fall 2025 and her signature shoe and apparel collection in 2026.

December 2025: Participates in first senior national training camp

In December 2025, Caitlin Clark participated in her first senior national training camp, marking another step in her international career.

February 2026: Named to roster for FIBA World Cup qualification tournament

In February 2026, Caitlin Clark was named to the roster to represent USA in the FIBA World Cup qualification tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. She averaged 11.6 Points and 6.4 assists during the tournament helping Team USA to a 5-0 record and was announced as the MVP of the tournament.