"Pushed me to work even harder": $3.1 million NIL-valued Caitlin Clark reveals USA Youth Team snub as a high school junior ignited a fire within her

Caitlin Clark has established herself as one of the greatest women's college basketball players of all time over the course of an impressive four-year career that has seen her break the NCAA scoring record. The Iowa Hawkeyes guard, who has a name, image and likeness valuation of $3.1 million, according to On3 Sports, recently revealed how she was motivated during her high school years.

Speaking to Robin Roberts of Good Morning America, Clark was asked about missing out on the USA Youth Team during her junior season, responding:

"I went to try out the next year and, honestly, I hurt my pinky during training camp, but, like, I keep playing, like, I was fine, but also, I just played really bad. I didn't deserve to be on the team so I think, honestly, like that's one of the lowest points of my basketball career."

She continued:

"It's like, you're on the team the previous year. You won a gold medal and then you go back to try out with all your teammates from the prior year, but I think it really allowed me to, like, find another fire. I think it just pushed me to work even harder and get better and want to prove people wrong."

Check out Caitlin Clark's comments on not making the USA Youth Team below (starting at the 4:21 mark):

While Clark refers to the moment as one of the lowest points of her playing career, she has done an incredible job of bouncing back. The Hawkeyes guard made NCAA history on Sunday as she became the NCAA all-time leading scorer.

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Caitlin Clark announces plans to enter 2024 WNBA Draft

Caitlin Clark has had an incredibly successful college career. While she is still looking to lead the Iowa Hawkeyes to their first national title in program history, she recently announced that she plans to declare for the 2024 WNBA Draft, tweeting:

"While this season is far from over and we have a lot more goals to achieve, it will be my last one at Iowa. I am excited to be entering the 2024 WNBA Draft. It is impossible to fully express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me during my time at Iowa.

"[My] teammates, who made the last four years the best; my coaches, trainers, and staff who always let me be; Hawkeye fans who filled Carver every night; and everyone who came out to support us across the country, especially the young kids. Most importantly, none of this would have been possible without my family and friends who have been my side through it all. Because of all of you, my dreams came true."

Check out Caitlin Clark's announcement below:

There had been speculation as to whether or not Caitlin Clark would take advantage of the extra year of college eligibility granted to athletes who played in the 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Iowa Hawkeyes guard projects as the first overall selection in the 2024 WNBA Draft.

Clark has averaged 28.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 0.5 blocks per game while shooting 46.5% from the field, 38.2% from three-point range and 85.6% from the free-throw line during her four-year college career.