Not even decorated veterans can hide their awe at Caitlin Clark.
Two-time NBA champion and the number one pick in the 1978 draft, Mychal Thompson described how the WNBA superstar left him a little starstruck
You would think raising sons like Dallas Mavericks and four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson and Boston Red Sox outfielder Trayce Thompson, would make you pretty immune to being overwhelmed by superstars.
However that wasn’t the case for Thompson, who is decorated NBA legend, when he met Clark.
During an interview with OutKick, the former Lakers center described getting nervous in the presence of basketball royalty.
“When I was Indy… the only thing I remember about Indy is, when I was leaving the Gainbridge Arena in the loading dock, Caitlin Clark walked right by me. And I froze. I didn’t say hello to her. How about that?,” Thompson said.
“My favorite basketball player outside of Klay was right there in front of me, there she was, and I said ‘No, I can’t [say something]’
“But that’s what I remember most about Indiana. Caitlin Clark was right there next to me.”
It’s no shock Clark’s effect extends to a former NBA champion, after all the 23-year-old is a global superstar.
Clark first disrupted the basketball scene when she buurst onto the scene with the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Clark broke multiple records in college basketball and ended her year four-stint there as the NCAA Division I all-time scoring leader and had her No. 22 jersey retired by Iowa.
She later became the 2024 No.1 overall pick in the WNBA and claimed Rookie of the Year honors last season.
By leading the league in assists, Clark was also an All-Star and garnered All-WNBA First Team and All-Rookie Team honors in her debut year.
The 23-year-old averaged 19.2 points on 41.7 percent shooting with 5.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals.
She became the first rookie since Candace Parker in 2008 to make the All-WNBA First Team.
Although Clark’s biggest impact was arguably off the court as her rivalry with Angel Reese, helped raise the profile of both teams and the WNBA, which has secured a $2billion 10-year broadcast deal from 2026.
The 22-year-old’s Fever team saw their attendance rise by 320 percent to a league-leading average of 17,000 per game.
31 WNBA matches last season averaged over one million viewers and 22 of them involved Clark, with almost every fixture she played in broadcast on national television.
Unprecedented success also paved the way for Fever’s new $78 million training center in downtown Indianapolis.
The facility will open in two years and features two full-size courts, strength and conditioning facilities, along with podcast and content production studios.
Who wouldn’t blame for Thompson for getting starstruck.
