Women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark joined the Long Island Association at its annual fall luncheon at Crest Hollow Country Club on Oct. 29. Tim Baker/Herald
Caitlin Clark, the star point guard for the Indiana Fever, became the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball, was selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA draft, was the league’s 2024 Rookie of the Year and has drawn thousands of new fans to women’s basketball.
On Oct. 29, hundreds of Long Island business leaders and basketball fans attended the Long Island Association’s annual fall luncheon to see Clark speak with LIA President and CEO Matt Cohen.
The LIA is nonprofit association working to ensure Long Island’s economic vitality. The luncheon usually highlights political or business leaders, but this year Clark, 23, spoke about her career and nonprofit work. It was her first visit to Long Island, but she is no stranger to New York, having made a number of TV appearances and played the 2024 WNBA champion New York Liberty at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“Honestly New York is one of my favorite places to come and play,” she said. “The crowd they have is really fun, their fan base is absolutely incredible and they’ve got a great team.”
As a junior at the University of Iowa, Clark became known for “the Caitlin Clark effect” — a dramatic increase in popularity and revenue for women’s basketball that continued when she turned pro.
“I just love basketball,” she said. “I love the grind of getting better. No matter what we achieved or what I achieved personally, I always wanted to get back in the gym and get better at it.”
She emphasized the importance of surrounding yourself with supportive people who care about both your success and your well-being. “I’ve been very fortunate over the course of my career to be surrounded by a lot of really great teammates, coaches and a great support system that’s allowed me to do a lot of cool things,” she said.
Clark has sponsorships from Gatorade and Nike, and collaborates with Stanley. Her college marketing degree, she said, has helped her navigate business decisions. “The biggest thing for me is working with brands that align with who I am,” she said. “Everything has my fingerprints on it. Everything we put out there I’m super proud of.”
Clark touched on her work with the Caitlin Clark Foundation, a nonprofit focused on youth empowerment through education, nutrition and sports. “It’s honestly my favorite part of what I get to do,” she said. The foundation organizes a large backpack giveaway, supports Central Iowa’s Boys and Girls club, and works to install new basketball courts in Des Moines and Indianapolis.
“Basketball was never my end-all-be-all,” Clark said. “Its still that way for me. It’s just what I love to do. Its crazy to think that this is my job.”
She did not comment on negotiations between the WNBA and the Women’s National Basketball Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement after players opted out of the agreement. It was set to expire on Oct. 31, but both sides agreed to a 30-day extension for talks to continue. Players are concerned about pay, benefits and overall conditions in the league as the sport continues to grow.
For her part, Clark hopes to continue her career in Indianapolis and eventually help the Fever win a WNBA championship.