(NewsNation) — The Iowa Hawkeyes’ Caitlin Clark‘s journey to stardom wouldn’t have been possible without her high school coach, who has witnessed her meteoric rise firsthand.
Kristin Meyer, Clark’s former head basketball coach at Dowling Catholic in Des Moines, joined “NewsNation Prime” to discuss how the Iowa superstar is changing the game for women’s sports.
“It was easy to tell right when I met her and saw her play in the spring before ninth grade here that she just had a lot of talent that you don’t see naturally,” Meyer said. “And she just kept growing and evolving and improving throughout her high school years.”
Clark, who broke several NCAA scoring records this season, including Pistol Pete Maravich‘s mark, has generated an estimated $82 million to the state’s economy. Meyer said the impact of Clark’s success is hard to quantify.
“It’s so fun to see just the eyes she’s bringing to the sport, let alone the dollars and the economic impact,” Meyer said. “But I know she’s just bringing so many new fans to women’s basketball, which is so fun to see.”
As Clark prepares to lead the Hawkeyes in the national championship game against South Carolina, Meyer expressed confidence in her former player.
“I think they just need to follow their game plan,” Meyer said. “I’m sure their coaches will have a great game plan ready for them. Obviously, they’ll need to hit some shots and defend. South Carolina … is an incredibly tough team to play against.”
Meyer also praised Clark’s off-court personality, describing her as a “goofball” who loves life and brings a smile to everyone around her.
“For as competitive and fiery as she is on the court, she’s really kind of like a goofball off the court,” Meyer said. “She’s always telling jokes and cracking up with her teammates and coaches and she just loves life.”
Offers from beyond the WNBA are pouring in. Ice Cube’s Big3 League offered $5 million, while rapper Lil Durk countered with $10 million for Clark to join his team in the same league. Not to be outdone, Barstool owner Dave Portnoy offered $10 million for Clark to play on his intramural team.
These offers far exceed the WNBA’s highest-paid player, who earns just over $250,000 annually.
“She’ll choose whatever works best for her,” Meyer said. “I think she will obviously want to go to the WNBA and play there. I don’t know if she’ll … elect to take any of those other offers, but she’ll take time with her family and decide what’s best for her.”
