Caitlin Clark (born January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa) is a professional basketball player for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA, widely regarded as one of the greatest female collegiate players of all time. During her time at the University of Iowa, she was twice named national player of the year, led the Hawkeyes to two national championship games, and became the NCAA Division I all-time leading scorer, sparking a surge in women's basketball popularity known as the "Caitlin Clark effect." Selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, she immediately made history by earning Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA First Team honors, while setting league records for assists, breaking the rookie scoring record, and becoming the first rookie to record a triple-double. In 2026, she set the Fever's franchise single-game scoring record with 45 points, and she has since become a three-time WNBA All-Star. On the international stage, Clark has won three youth gold medals with Team USA, including being named MVP of the 2021 FIBA Under-19 World Cup. Growing up in West Des Moines, she played in boys' recreational leagues as a child and famously created a third-grade "dream board" listing goals like "Play in the WNBA," foreshadowing her rise to stardom.