Caitlin Clark's father Brent Clark shares emotional words on Fever superstar's journey to stardom

Brent Clark, father of Indiana Fever sensation Caitlin Clark, was present on Sunday to witness his daughter’s return to Carver-Hawkeye Arena — the floor where she rose to stardom with the Iowa Hawkeyes — as the Fever battled the Brazil National Team in their second preseason matchup.

While the game was ongoing, Brent joined the ESPN broadcast and was asked about the pride he felt seeing Caitlin draw a preseason crowd of 14,998 in the same place where her college legacy was forged.

Brent shared that he takes pride in everything Caitlin has accomplished over the past few seasons.

“It's just what we've seen over the last few years (that I’m proud of),” Brent said. “And I think that's what's special. And I think the fact that you're seeing it here in Iowa City, it's sort of the epicenter, if you will, of women's basketball right now. Hopefully that's just going to carry over to the W.”

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Brent, a basketball coach, described the welcome his daughter received in Iowa as something truly touching.

“It's certainly special, and I think it's almost like you never left,” he said. “Whether it's Caitlin or whether it's another athlete — they love it. It's kind of their professional team, and that's what makes it a fantastic experience every time you come."

Caitlin Clark's rookie campaign in the WNBA was nothing short of historic, earning first-team All-WNBA honors, being named Rookie of the Year, rewriting records in assists and 3-point shooting and helping drive up the league’s attendance and ratings.

Caitlin also etched her name in history as the first women’s basketball player to be named TIME Athlete of the Year and the first basketball player to receive the award since LeBron James.

Caitlin Clark embraces her platform as a role model

Among the nearly 15,000 fans packed into Carver-Hawkeye Arena were plenty of young fans — something Caitlin Clark said she deeply appreciated after the game.

"Seeing the amount of people and young girls and young boys that stand there and scream for me to sign their stuff — I don't take that for granted,” she said (per reporter Sara Jane Gamelli).

“I'm glad I can be a role model for them. They have a great impact on me too. There's a lot more bigger things in life than basketball."

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It was a dominant homecoming for Caitlin Clark, who lit up Brazil with 16 points, six boards, five assists and four 3s, leading all players with a plus-42 rating in under 19 minutes of action as the Fever won 108-44.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro