$818,000 NIL-valued Caitlin Clark's father Brent Clark boasts about Iowa guard's soccer skills: "Same sort of talent in soccer"

Iowa Hawkeyes superstar Caitlin Clark only stopped playing soccer after her sophomore year at Dowling Catholic High in West Des Moines, Iowa. It was a sport that she excelled at as well, according to her father, Brent Clark.

Brent Clark told the Des Moines Register newspaper matter-of-factly that his $818,000 NIL-valued daughter, according to On3, was a soccer star as well.

“Quite frankly, and I’m not trying to brag about it, but I think she probably could have been the same sort of talent in soccer that she is in basketball,” Clark said. “She could have been on USA, junior national-type teams.

“It was one of those deals where you had to tell Caitlin to stop scoring so many goals. She didn’t quite understand that whole concept. (In her mind), the object is to score.”

How soccer made Caitlin Clark a better passer

Caitlin Clark has not only wowed fans with her shooting from way downtown, but her passing is excellent as well and her 7.9 assists average this season is the best in the country.

So, how does her soccer background influence the Hawkeyes superstar's passing in basketball?

Her former AAU coach, Dickson Jensen explained how playing soccer has allowed the record-chasing Caitlin Clark to thrive in basketball as an elite passer.

“I think that the scale of soccer allows the scale of basketball to be bigger and broader for Caitlin,” Jensen said “Her decisions are being made in the backcourt. Most point guards, you know, their first goal is get the ball into the frontcourt.”

Big Ten Network analyst Christy Winter-Scott said that playing soccer has allowed Clark to develop passing skills, unlike many basketball players.

“Does it need to be a bounce pass?" Winter-Scott said. "Does it need to be to her left hand or her right hand? Does it need to be right to her collarbone? Or do I need to pass it up high? Caitlin has, in a split second, the awareness and the ability to make the proper pass. That is an elite-level skill not everyone has.

“She's not hunting her shot. She's hunting for the best opportunity for the team. If it's not her opportunity to score, then you’d better have your hands ready, because that ball is going to find you.”

According to ESPN statistics, Caitlin Clark passes the most for players with the highest ball possession in the country and has the second-highest ball usage rate.

The fact that she scores the most in addition to having the most assists shows just how much of a phenomenon the much admired Clark is as a player.