Caitlin Clark Biography 2026: The Woman Who Changed Women’s Basketball
Caitlin Elizabeth Clark was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa. By the time she walked off an NCAA court for the last time in 2024, she had broken Pete Maravich’s scoring record that had stood since 1970 and finished with 3,951 points, the most in NCAA Division I history for any player, men’s or women’s.
In 2026, she is 24 years old and playing the best basketball of her professional career. She is averaging 23.8 points per game (third in the WNBA) and 9.0 assists per game (first in the WNBA), leading the Indiana Fever to an 8-5 record through mid-June. On June 16, 2026, she was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. She is a three-time WNBA All-Star.
Caitlin Clark Quick Profile
| Full Name | Caitlin Elizabeth Clark |
| Date of Birth | January 22, 2002 |
| Age in 2026 | 24 years old |
| Birthplace | Des Moines, Iowa, USA |
| Nationality | American |
| Parents | Brent Clark (former Drake University basketball player) and Anne Clark |
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) |
| Position | Point Guard |
| High School | Dowling Catholic High School, West Des Moines |
| College | University of Iowa (2020 to 2024) |
| WNBA Team | Indiana Fever |
| Jersey Number | #22 |
| Religion | Catholic |
| Partner | Connor McCaffery (since April 2023) |
| Foundation | Caitlin Clark Foundation |
| Net Worth (2026) | Estimated $5 million and growing |
| 2026 WNBA Stats | 23.8 PPG (3rd in league), 9.0 APG (1st in league), as of mid-June 2026 |
| 2026 Status | 3-time All-Star; Eastern Conference Player of the Week (June 16, 2026); Fever record 8-5 |
Early Life: Growing Up Clark in Des Moines
Caitlin is the middle child of three siblings. Her father Brent played college basketball at Drake University, so the sport was never far from her world. She grew up in West Des Moines attending Dowling Catholic High School, a school she credits for shaping her character as much as her game.
At Dowling, she was a dual-sport athlete, playing varsity soccer in her first two years before narrowing her focus entirely to basketball. By junior year she scored 60 points in a single game and helped the U.S. Women’s Under-19 team win gold at the World Championship. She left as Iowa Miss Basketball, Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year, and with 2,547 career high school points, fourth in Iowa five-on-five history.
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Why Iowa: The Recruitment Decision
Several powerhouse programs came after Clark in 2020. She chose the University of Iowa and head coach Lisa Bluder, a decision that, in hindsight, reshaped the entire sport. Iowa needed her. And she needed Iowa’s willingness to build an offense entirely around her style. She enrolled in 2020. Four years later she left as the greatest scorer in the history of college basketball.
Career Timeline: From Des Moines to the WNBA
| Year | Milestone |
| 2002 | Born January 22 in Des Moines, Iowa. |
| 2014 to 2020 | Dowling Catholic High School. 2,547 career points (4th in Iowa history). Iowa Miss Basketball. Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year. |
| 2019 | Scores 60 points in a single game. Wins gold with U.S. Women’s Under-19 team at the World Championship. |
| 2020 to 2021 | Freshman season at Iowa: 26.6 PPG, 5.9 APG. Big Ten Freshman of the Year. |
| 2021 to 2022 | Sophomore season: 27.0 PPG, 7.7 APG. First All-American. |
| 2022 to 2023 | Junior season: 29.6 PPG, 8.6 RPG. First Naismith Player of the Year. Iowa reaches NCAA Championship game. |
| Mar 3, 2024 | Breaks Pete Maravich’s all-time NCAA Division I scoring record (3,667 pts). Finishes career with 3,951 points. |
| 2023 to 2024 | Senior season: 31.6 PPG, 8.9 APG. Second Naismith Award. NCAA Championship game draws 18.7M viewers. |
| April 2024 | Selected #1 overall by Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft. |
| 2024 WNBA | Sets WNBA assists record (337). Breaks rookie scoring record (769 pts). WNBA Rookie of the Year. Time Athlete of the Year. |
| Feb 2025 | University of Iowa retires her No. 22 jersey. |
| May 2025 | Foundation donates $300,802 to Feeding America (approx. 3 million meals). |
| 2025 WNBA | Limited to 13 games due to soft-tissue injuries (quad strain, then right groin). Averaged 16.5 PPG, 8.8 APG in games played. Made All-Star team as captain. Fever win Commissioner’s Cup and reach WNBA semifinals. |
| Early 2026 | Returns healthy. Leads Team USA to 5-0 record at FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying. Wins tournament MVP. |
| 2026 WNBA | Career-best pace: 23.8 PPG (3rd in WNBA), 9.0 APG (1st in WNBA). Named Eastern Conference Player of the Week (June 16). Fever record 8-5 through mid-June. Named 3-time All-Star. |
The Iowa Years: Breaking Every Record in Sight
Clark’s four seasons at Iowa were unlike anything the sport had seen. Year after year she did not just improve. She accelerated. She won the Naismith College Player of the Year award twice, in 2023 and 2024, and led Iowa to back-to-back National Championship game appearances.
The defining moment came on March 3, 2024, when she surpassed Pete Maravich’s record of 3,667 career points against Michigan. She finished at 3,951 points, the all-time NCAA Division I record across all of men’s and women’s basketball. She also holds NCAA tournament records for career points (491), assists (152), and three-pointers made (78). Iowa’s final championship game drew 18.7 million viewers, the most-watched women’s sporting event in American history at that point. Her No. 22 jersey was retired by Iowa in February 2025.
Career and WNBA Stats
| Season | PPG | APG | RPG | 3PM | Key Honor |
| 2020/21 (FR) | 26.6 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 3.0 | Big Ten Freshman of the Year |
| 2021/22 (SO) | 27.0 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 3.0 | All-American |
| 2022/23 (JR) | 29.6 | 7.6 | 8.6 | 3.8 | Naismith Player of the Year |
| 2023/24 (SR) | 31.6 | 8.9 | 7.4 | 4.2 | Naismith Player of the Year (2nd) |
| NCAA Career | 28.4 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 3.5 | 3,951 pts: NCAA All-Time Record (Men and Women) |
| 2024 WNBA | 19.2 | 8.4 | 5.7 | 2.9 | WNBA Rookie of the Year |
| 2025 WNBA | 16.5 | 8.8 | 5.0 | 2.6 | All-Star Captain (13 games only) |
| 2026 WNBA* | 23.8 | 9.0 | TBD | TBD | 3-time All-Star; leads WNBA in assists (*mid-June 2026) |
WNBA Rookie Season (2024): Shaking the League
The Indiana Fever selected Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. In her rookie season she averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 8.4 assists per game, set the all-time WNBA single-season record for assists (337), broke the rookie scoring record (769 points), and became the first rookie in WNBA history to win Player of the Month. The Fever returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Attendance and TV ratings across the league reached levels the sport had never seen. Time magazine named her 2024 Athlete of the Year.
2025 WNBA Season: Injury and Resilience
The 2025 season was disrupted by a series of soft-tissue injuries. Clark suffered a left quadriceps strain in May, recurring issues through summer, and a right groin injury on July 15 that ended her season. She was limited to 13 games. In her statement, she wrote that disappointed was not big enough a word to describe how she felt, but that even in the bad there is good.
Despite her absence, the Fever won the Commissioner’s Cup for the first time in franchise history and reached the WNBA semifinals, pushing the eventual champion Las Vegas Aces to the brink. Clark was named an All-Star captain even with her limited appearances.
2026 WNBA Season: The Bounce-Back
Clark returned fully healthy in 2026 after months of rehab. Before the season, she led Team USA at the FIBA Women’s World Cup qualifying tournament, going 5-0 and earning tournament MVP honors. It was her first meaningful game in eight months and, by all accounts, she looked like herself immediately.
Through mid-June 2026, she is averaging 23.8 points per game (third in the WNBA) and leads the entire league in assists with 9.0 per game. She missed one game with a back injury in late May but returned quickly, posting 22 points and nine assists against the Golden State Valkyries. On June 13, she scored 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting with five three-pointers against the Connecticut Sun in an 85-75 Fever win, earning her fourth technical foul of the season in the process. On June 16, 2026, she was officially named Eastern Conference Player of the Week for Week 5. The Fever stand at 8-5.
She has already been named a three-time WNBA All-Star, only in her third professional season.
Endorsements, Foundation, and Cultural Impact
While still in college, Clark signed NIL deals with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Buick, Goldman Sachs, H and R Block, and Topps, among others. Her NIL valuation reached $3.4 million, the highest among all women’s college basketball players. She became the first college athlete to serve as a national spokesperson for State Farm. Her estimated net worth stands at approximately $5 million and continues to grow.
The Caitlin Clark Foundation focuses on youth education, access to sports, and food security. In January 2025, it donated 22,000 books to under-resourced schools in Iowa and Indiana. In March 2025, it launched a Community Courts Initiative installing multipurpose recreation courts in middle schools. In May 2025, it donated $300,802 to Feeding America, providing roughly 3 million meals across the Midwest.
Personal Life: Faith, Family, and Connor McCaffery
Clark is a practicing Catholic who attended St. Francis of Assisi Church in Des Moines. She credits Dowling Catholic’s environment for shaping her values. She has been dating Connor McCaffery, a former Iowa men’s basketball player, since April 2023.
McCaffery holds degrees in finance and political science from Iowa and currently serves as an assistant coach for the Butler University men’s basketball team. Outside basketball, Clark is an avid golfer who played in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am in July 2023 alongside Zach Johnson and Ludvig Aberg.
FAQs
What record did Caitlin Clark break in college?
On March 3, 2024, she broke Pete Maravich’s NCAA Division I all-time scoring record of 3,667 points, finishing her college career with 3,951 points. The record covers both men’s and women’s players across all of Division I history.
How is Caitlin Clark performing in the 2026 WNBA season?
Through mid-June 2026, she is averaging 23.8 PPG (third in the WNBA) and leads the entire league with 9.0 assists per game. She was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week on June 16, 2026. The Fever are 8-5.
What is Caitlin Clark’s net worth in 2026?
Her net worth is estimated at approximately $5 million, driven by partnerships with Nike, Gatorade, State Farm, Buick, Goldman Sachs, and others. Her NIL valuation during college reached $3.4 million.
Who is Caitlin Clark’s boyfriend?
She has been in a relationship with Connor McCaffery since April 2023. He is a former Iowa men’s basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Butler University.
What happened to Caitlin Clark in the 2025 WNBA season?
She was limited to 13 games due to multiple soft-tissue injuries, including a left quad strain and a right groin injury that ended her season on July 15. Despite her absence, the Fever won the Commissioner’s Cup and reached the WNBA semifinals.
What is the Caitlin Clark Foundation?
It is her nonprofit focused on youth education, access to sports, and food security. Key initiatives include donating 22,000 books to schools, installing recreation courts in middle schools, and contributing $300,802 to Feeding America in 2025, equivalent to roughly 3 million meals.
Conclusion
Caitlin Clark is 24 years old and already holds the all-time NCAA scoring record, a WNBA assists record, a Rookie of the Year award, and three All-Star selections. After a 2025 season cut short by injury, she returned in 2026 leading the WNBA in assists and playing the most complete basketball of her professional career.
She changed women’s basketball in ways that are measurable: attendance, ratings, media coverage, and league revenue all moved significantly around her arrival. She is doing it again in 2026, healthy, focused, and with a Fever team built to compete for a championship. Whatever records come next, the foundation is already written into the history books.
