As Caitlin Clark’s incredible journey continues in Indiana at a feverish pace, family, faith and hard work guide her

Caitlin Clark flashes a smile during a press conference on April 17 in Indianapolis, when she was introduced to the media as a new member of the Indiana Fever, the WNBA team she wanted to draft her. (Photo courtesy of NBAE/Getty Images)

By John Shaughnessy

As the girls’ basketball coach at Dowling Catholic High School in Iowa, Kristin Meyer has continued to follow the incredible journey of one of her former players—Caitlin Clark.

In recent weeks, Meyer has seen how Clark used her creativity, fierce competitiveness, shooting prowess and trust in her teammates to lead the University of Iowa basketball team to the championship game of the NCAA’s women tournament for the second straight year.

With pride and satisfaction, Meyer has also watched Clark’s joy in being the first player selected in the WNBA’s draft, by the Indiana Fever.

And Meyer laughed with people across the nation as the 22-year-old Clark quickly overcame her initial nervousness and showed perfect timing and poise in a comedy skit on “Saturday Night Live.”

The high school coach also has viewed parts of Clark’s first press conference as a Fever player, a press conference in which Clark saluted former Fever great Tamika Catchings, praised the players and coaches on the Fever’s current team, and shared these thoughts about playing in Indiana:

—“I feel like this is the perfect spot for me—a place that loves basketball, but more than anything, this is in the Midwest. People might think I’m crazy for wanting to stay in the Midwest, but that’s just who I am, that’s where my roots are. I love the people here.”

—“Like I said after I got drafted, I can’t think of a better place for myself to start my career. A place that loves basketball, supports women’s basketball, and an organization that really does things the right way and has a championship pedigree. So, I’m just thankful that they have a belief in me.”

—“This is a dream come true.”

As Meyer listened to Clark talk about her dream coming true, she also knew the reality of what has led Clark to this defining moment—a reality forged in her incredible work ethic, unwavering family support and the strong foundation of her Catholic faith.

‘There’s also just her joy for life’

On the day of the press conference—April 17—Meyer exchanged text messages with Clark, congratulating her on being named an Academic All-American, an honor that complemented her selection as the college women’s National Player of the Year.

“I know academics have been important to her throughout her life,” Meyer says. “As a teacher, I think highlighting those successes are important for all students, especially student-athletes.

“Her work ethic has always stood out, both on the basketball court and as a high-achieving student. There’s also just her joy for life. She’s the type of person that always has a positive attitude and is in a good mood and is looking to tell jokes and entertain other people.”

Meyer sees those qualities as an extension of Clark’s family: her parents, Anne and Brent, and her two brothers, Blake and Colin.

“Her family is great,” Meyer says. “They really instilled a lot of great qualities that have been very important, especially these last few years as she’s had more fame and success. She’s very grounded. She’s very appreciative of the opportunities she’s had. She still stays very close to her family and doesn’t take things for granted. And she knows it takes a lot of hard work to get to where she wants to be. Those are qualities and characteristics instilled from a young age.”

Clark talked about the influence of her family during the press conference.

“When I was growing up, my parents allowed me to be myself, they never told me I couldn’t accomplish anything,” she said. “I grew up playing basketball with the boys, and to me, I never thought that was different or weird. It was just what I did.

“I went out there, I competed hard. I feel like that’s a lot of the reason I am who I am today. I had this constant confidence in myself, and I feel like that’s a thing a lot of young girls struggle with today, just having the confidence to achieve whatever they want. That’s the biggest thing. It’s really the support system around them to instill that confidence.”

‘Their Catholic faith is very important to them’

One of the main gifts that Clark’s family has shared with her is the strong foundation of their Catholic faith.

That foundation from the family was supported by Clark’s grade-school years at St. Francis of Assisi School in the Iowa community of West Des Moines.

“I watched her grow up through the hallways of St. Francis,” says Jill Westholm, Clark’s sixth-grade teacher in math and science who has taught in Catholic schools for 33 years. “Really who you see today is who we’ve seen for years. She was a competitive girl, but she’s also very intelligent and easy going. She liked to have fun. A great sense of humor. She’s just very real and very true.

“And what an amazing family. Very supportive of each other. They did what they needed to do to help her reach her dreams. It’s just so good to see a strong family unit in this spotlight. They’re very faith-filled. Their Catholic faith is very important to them.”

Clark hasn’t forgotten her connection to St. Francis School. In the spring of 2023, a few weeks after she and her Iowa team competed in the women’s national championship game, Clark returned to the school.

“We told the students we had a surprise for them.

We gathered everybody into the gym. They had no idea who they were going to see,” recalls Westholm, who has been to a number of Clark’s Iowa games, including the Final Four of the past two women’s national tournaments. “She was hiding behind a wall. She came out, and they just went crazy. It was really fun. I think she appreciated all the support. She’s all about being a positive role model for the students.”

The influence on her faith continued at Dowling Catholic High School, also in West Des Moines.

“Faith is very important to her and her family, which is one of the main reasons she came to Dowling Catholic,” Meyer says. “Caitlin’s mom went to Dowling Catholic. Caitlin’s grandpa, Bob Nizzi, was a coach and I believe a counselor at Dowling. That part of it has always been very important to Caitlin and her family.”

One of the groups that Clark was involved in at Dowling Catholic is called Ut Fidem, which comes from “a longer Latin phrase meaning Keep the Faith,” according to the school’s website. The program’s goal is “to develop high school students into intentional disciples who will keep the faith for the rest of their lives, and especially through college.”

“Students get into small groups of usually five to six students,” says Meyer.

“They get paired with a mentor, and they meet once a week to talk about their faith and the things going on in their lives. We also offer a number of faith retreats for students. Caitlin went on our big one, which is a four-day retreat, her junior year. And I know that was pretty impactful for her. That retreat is called Kairos. When she came back from that retreat, she joined a Ut Fidem group.”

Meyer notes that Clark’s brother Blake serves as a Ut Fidem mentor for a current group of students.

“It just gives students a chance to have conversations about what’s going on in their life with an adult—and look at things from a faith perspective,” Meyer says. “We have quite a few students who participate in that and they really enjoy the chance to bring their faith to life.”

Meyer has seen how Clark has placed an emphasis on using her foundations of family and faith to make a difference in other people’s lives. She believes that approach will continue as Clark gets settled into Indianapolis.

‘I try to remind myself how grateful I am’

“Even through high school, she was always excited to help at our youth basketball camps or when we would bring our elementary and middle school players in for different activities,” Meyer says. “She enjoys being around young athletes and young students to impact what they do on a basketball court or just as a role model, to give them some tips and guidance.

“She also has a foundation that she’s started that helps provide resources for boys and girls to be able to participate in sports. I definitely think Caitlin will get involved in the Indianapolis community. I wouldn’t be surprised if she helps develop some sort of leadership academy for female students either at the middle school or high school level. Knowing her mom, her mom would be interested in helping her create something that does have a lasting impact more than just basketball.”

For now, Clark is just thrilled to begin the next stage of her life in Indianapolis and Indiana, with the Fever beginning its regular season on May 14.

“I was hoping Indiana would get the first pick,” she said during the press conference. “When I saw that, I was pretty excited.

“I was ready for a new challenge and something new in my life. It felt like I had done everything at Iowa that I possibly could, and we did a lot of amazing things. To be able to come here and stay in the Midwest—and it’s only five hours from Iowa City, seven hours from where I grew up—you really can’t script it any better.”

Amid the whirlwind of all that has happened recently and during the past year, Clark has tried to embrace two points of perspective—one about basketball, the other about life.

“For me, I just have fun playing basketball,” she said. “I know this is a team sport, it’s not all about me. When I’ve been able to understand that, it’s allowed me to play my best. I think it’s just using your resources, asking questions. Not everything is going to be perfect. … I’m a perfectionist, but I’m at my best when I allow myself a little grace and not expecting everything to go how it should. At the same time, that’s what allowed me to be so great.”

There’s also this perspective on life.

“The biggest thing I try to remember is how grateful I am to have this opportunity,” Clark said. “There are so many people who would kill to be in my shoes. When things seem like they’re long and they’re tiring, and I have to do this, I have to do that, I try to remind myself how grateful I am.

“I’m lucky to have these moments, and it can all be taken away from you in a second. So just enjoy every single second of it, give it my best, and I think that will go well for me.”

As someone who has closely observed Clark’s journey for more than eight years, Meyer is sure about one part of Clark’s future.

“She’s very optimistic and forward-thinking,” Meyer says. “She doesn’t get too caught up in negativity. She’s always looking at the next step, and she always has a smile on her face.” †