Caitlin Clark’s high school coach Scott Babinat knew he was witnessing greatness right away.
He took over a new assistant coaching job at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa, in 2016.
Moving from the Bay Area, the veteran coach of 20-plus years had an immediate comp for his new talisman – NBA great Steph Curry.
“You’re never going to believe this, but we are coaching a player that will become the female version of Steph Curry in many people’s minds,” Babinat recalled telling a friend over the phone in 2016 in an interview with Athlon Sports.
Head coach Kristin Meyer saw a confidence and basketball IQ that set Clark apart from her teenage peers, as well as a fierce competitive streak.
That sometimes led her to call out teammates or referees.
“She understood that it wasn’t good. It didn’t help the team. It didn’t help her play better,” Meyer revealed.
“But also, she gets so into the moment that she can’t help herself.”
Teammate Ella McVey, who went on to play softball for the University of Michigan, said Clark was “always three or four steps ahead” of her teammates and officials which often led to dropped passes or missed calls.
“Because she’s so hard to guard, the opponent is fouling her pretty much every single possession, at least one or two times, because she’s just so much more skilled and quicker and knows how to get people off balance,” Meyer said.
“But also, as a ref, you can’t call every single one, or, you know, the game doesn’t get to be played, right?”
Clark was also already approaching the game like a pro.
She turned up early to do extra shooting and had already watched film on her opponents before the team sessions.
“I feel like all the greats kind of have that tendency where it’s like, when they flip the switch, they’re in kill mode,” McVey added.
“But not only does Caitlin have that quality, but she also has the quality of being a sister, being a daughter, being a friend to a lot of the people in her life.
“Something I think people need to recognize is that she’s just a person.”
“She never asked to come out of a game,” Meyer added. “Usually, when she’d come out, it only took about 20 seconds before she’d just kind of turn and say, ‘Can I go back in now?’
“I’ve never met someone who loves the game as much as her.”
Clark has been playing in front of sold-out arenas, facing hecklers and double blocks since she was 16.
But whether it was high school, college, or the WNBA, nobody has figured out a way to stop her yet.
The WNBA Rookie of the Year’s dedication to improving her game means she never stands still no matter what is thrown at her.
She earned praise from fans for deciding to sit out of the lucrative Unrivaled league in order to come back fresh for her sophomore campaign.
She has been putting in the work in the gym and looks to have added muscle in recent training videos, which should leave the Indiana Fever guard’s opponents with a case of the chills.
