When you think of Caitlin Clark, you picture buzzer-beating threes, ankle-breaking crossovers, and her relentless will to dominate the basketball court. But apparently, her path to superstardom was littered with more than just defenders she left in the dust—it also included a maddening yoga mat and one stubborn handstand.
Yes, you read that right. Back in her high school days at West Des Moines Dowling Catholic, Clark found herself in a heated battle not with a rival player but with gravity itself. The battlefield? A yoga class. The enemy? A handstand. In a story that would make even the calmest yogi shake their head, Clark recently recounted her epic struggle during a 2018 interview with The Des Moines Register.
“I couldn’t get a handstand,” Clark confessed, her voice dripping with the frustration of a teenager whose competitive spirit was bigger than the gym. “My teacher could tell I was mad. Sometimes, I go way too fast, and then it doesn’t turn out the way it should.”
Classic Clark. Her inability to nail the pose wasn’t just a fleeting annoyance—it was a personal affront. The future WNBA Rookie of the Year was not about to let a handstand, of all things, best her. Fast forward a few wobbly attempts later, and—voila—she stuck it. Victory was hers.
It’s this fiery competitiveness, this unyielding drive to win at literally everything, that’s propelled Clark to the top of the basketball world. In her rookie season, Clark averaged a jaw-dropping 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.7 rebounds per game, bagging first-team All-WNBA honors faster than most rookies can figure out where their locker is.
Let’s face it: Whether it’s perfecting a handstand or perfecting her three-point shot, Caitlin Clark does not half-ass anything.
A Signature Move, Now on a Basketball
Proving that she’s a master of both branding and basketball, Clark has also been busy off the court. On Tuesday, she unveiled her latest collaboration with Wilson—yep, the same Wilson that supplies basketballs for the WNBA and NBA.
The collection features two dazzling colorways: one decked out in her alma mater University of Iowa’s iconic black and gold, and another that looks like the candy aisle at HyVee exploded onto a basketball—pink, purple, blue, and yellow sections making for a playful design. Oh, and don’t forget her signature sprawled across the front, because why not remind everyone who the queen of the court is?
If you’re hoping to snag one, though, good luck. The basketballs are sold exclusively at HyVee locations across eight states. That means fans are about to start treating grocery store aisles like they’re the paint, boxing out old ladies for a chance at a piece of Clark memorabilia.
From Yoga Frustrations to WNBA Sensation
What makes Caitlin Clark’s story so relatable is that she’s not just an otherworldly talent—she’s also a bit of a perfectionist hothead. Who among us hasn’t silently cursed the universe over a failed handstand or a burnt batch of cookies? The difference is, Clark takes that fiery energy and channels it into becoming the best in the world.
So the next time you’re flopping on your yoga mat, just remember: Even Caitlin Clark started somewhere. And now? She’s the WNBA Rookie of the Year, a certified basketball mogul, and the proud conqueror of the most difficult yoga pose West Des Moines has ever seen.
