Caitlin Clark, the WNBA’s sharp-shooting sensation, found herself back in the limelight—but this time, it wasn’t for her on-court heroics. Instead, it was her swing (or lack thereof) that had fans ducking for cover at The Annika pro-am golf event in Florida on Wednesday. Clark, known for her precision in basketball, showed us that her golf game is, well, still a work in progress.
During her first swing, Clark narrowly avoided giving one lucky spectator a permanent souvenir—a golf ball to the head. The fan, wisely, hit the deck as the ball splashed into the water, and Clark’s reaction? Pure gold. “I’m so real,” she commented on the viral video later, fully owning the moment. “This is the greatest video ever.” You can’t say she doesn’t have a sense of humor.
Clark brushed off the rough start (pun intended) with ease. On her next swing, she managed to keep the ball on the course, much to the relief of everyone standing within a 50-foot radius. Ever the crowd-pleaser, Clark even joked that she would’ve offered up her shoes had she hit anyone. Who wouldn’t want a pair of Caitlin Clark sneakers as consolation for almost taking a Titleist to the forehead?
As if near-miss golfing wasn’t enough to keep fans on their toes, Clark’s offseason continues to keep people guessing. Is the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year eyeing a pro-golf career? Who knows? One thing’s for sure: if she does, every swing will be must-watch TV, if only for the potential bloopers.
However, the real question everyone’s asking is whether Clark will join the upcoming Unrivaled league, co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier. With teammates Lexie Hull and Aliyah Boston already signed up, the Indiana Fever guard’s decision is the last piece of the puzzle. Alex Bazzell, Unrivaled’s president, played it cool when asked about her potential involvement: “We’re not applying a full court press here—Clark knows we’ve got a spot for her whenever she’s ready.” Translation: we’re crossing our fingers, Caitlin!
Despite all the offseason speculation, Clark’s focus for now seems to be on mixing fun with a bit of golf practice. She teamed up with LPGA legend Nelly Korda for the front nine and swapped in Annika Sorenstam on the back nine—talk about some star power. After her 18-hole adventure, Clark was all smiles. “It was so fun,” she said, clearly still riding the high of not accidentally injuring any spectators. “I got to hang with Nelly and Annika, who does that for free?!” Spoken like someone who knows she’s living the dream.
With Unrivaled not kicking off until January and the WNBA season months away, Clark has plenty of time to mull over her future—whether that involves more clutch basketball shots or perfecting her golf swing remains to be seen. Either way, fans (and innocent bystanders) better stay on their toes.
