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USA Today
03-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
'Don't be a helicopter parent': Annika Sorenstam's tips for your kid's sports experience
'Don't be a helicopter parent': Annika Sorenstam's tips for your kid's sports experience Have you been this kid? "I wouldn't raise my hand in class to answer a question in case I would say the wrong thing," Annika Sorenstam says. "I was always afraid that my classmates would laugh at me." She would even miss on purpose – maybe hit a three-putt, maybe leave the ball in the bunker – coming down the stretch at junior golf tournaments so she wouldn't have to speak in front of a crowd. "They wanted the winner to give remarks of some kind, even at early ages," she tells USA TODAY Sports, "just to kind of teach you more than the game itself, and I remember just being so afraid of it. I could finish second or third and still get a prize. "But you can imagine that would haunt me because I practiced a lot and I'm very competitive and got home knowing that I could have won it." Sorenstam, who would go on to win 10 major tournaments, 72 events on the LPGA Tour and make hundreds of post-round comments, says shyness has always been her weakness. But today it's a smaller hurdle she can clear because of the lessons she learned from her parents and from sports that she has continued to apply. She's now a mom of two teenagers (Ava, 15, and Will, 14) trying like us to distinguish their individual traits, and to give them room to grown into them, like she did. "I always tell people, 'Get back to me in 10 years,' " she says. "I'll let you know if it worked." Sorenstam, 54, has been instructing for 18 years through her ANNIKA foundation, which empowers and advances the cause of young women in golf and life. This spring and summer, she is running clinics for Bank of America's "Golf with Us" program to help give more boys and girls access to experiences similar to what she had. She doesn't formally coach Will, her rising junior golfer, though. "I've learned you don't want to be a helicopter parent," she says. "You're so invested and you're so engaged and you're so caring. We all love them so much and we just want them to succeed, and then it's just, how do you handle it?" Here's her advice for parents and their athletes to help us all try and figure out golf, sports and overcoming our fears. Foster independence through enjoyment of sport Sorenstam's mother, Gunilla, would swing a golf club when she was pregnant with her. She jokes with her daughter about how the action propelled her into her future. Sorenstam describes her development as more of "one of those slow loves." Slow, indeed. She grew up near Stockholm, Sweden, where she could whisk down ski slopes. Tennis, which she played for eight years, was her first love, not golf. "I really didn't like it in the beginning," she says. "It was for older people and I wanted to chase a ball." Gunilla and her father, Tom, weren't experts as much as facilitators for Sorenstam and her sister, Charlotta, who would also play on the LPGA Tour. The freedom to choose their favorite sport sparked curiosity. "It was just giving us the resources," Annika says. "Driving us to the golf course or driving us to the tennis tournaments, providing the stuff that we needed. Not like a coach or anything; it was more they're loving parents and not very pushy and just kind of help us and guide us through the steps. And I think that worked quite well. "I disappointed them in my own way, but not through the score. And I always felt like they had my back. And on the contrary, I wanted them to be pleased and happy with what I was doing." She reflects today with a knowing chuckle about how right it felt: the way the support built her up inside and helped her along her teenage journey. A seminal moment came when she was 16, and she had found her sport. "I want to play golf," she told her parents. "I don't think I really knew where the golf would take me," she says. "It was more just kind of a hobby. I enjoyed playing. And then I got a little better. And then I played some tournaments. And then one thing kind of led to another." 'Go with the flow': Instead of having expectations for your kid athletes, be willing to adapt and change as they do It's a process she started over again when her kids were very young and they traveled with her to golf events. "They probably thought that was work," Sorenstam says, "and that's not what they wanted to do." These can be delicate times with our kids and their sports. We can teach lessons on grip, ball position and aim by sprinkling them in while playing with friends ("It's very convincing when friends play a certain sport," she says) or having putting competitions. "I am a big believer in understanding the fundamentals of the sport early on," Sorenstam says, "and then just let them learn and let them test." We don't always have to emphasize drilling. We can take breaks, she says, to stack golf balls into pyramids or stress the concepts of the sport with a soccer ball. "Introduce them to the game so it doesn't become so focused on golf and having to do everything perfectly," she says. "I think that's when you lose your kid early, because it's all this structure. There's a fine line of having structure. There's a fine line of having etiquette. And I think you have to find that balance. "When your kid leaves the golf course or the driving range you want them to have a smile on their face. Then I think you've been successful." Over the years, we have seen Will's eyes drawn to not only Tiger and Charlie Woods but to his mom as they play the course at the PNC Championship together. "Slow down, Mommy," he said in 2023 as they walked down the 18th fairway in Orlando, Florida. "I don't want this moment to end." Will and his sister tried just about every other sport Sorenstam and husband Mike McGee played – "I was the mean mom; I didn't give him a chance to play football," Annika says – before Ava made the varsity softball team and he settled on golf. It's all he wants to do. Sorenstam has explained how she loves watching him become more of a feel player than her as he experiments with his shots. She sees a natural separation from us that comes with development. "We practice a lot together," Sorenstam says, "but he's also kind of a student of the game, so about a year ago, I said, 'I think you need to find a real coach' and he was like, 'Well, I want to work with you.' I said, 'That's fine, but then you have to listen.' That didn't really work out very well so he's working with somebody. "It's good to get a different perspective. I love to attend some of his lessons and learn so that when we do play, I can be of help a little bit, because I know what they're working on. … I know a little golf and sometimes he wants to talk about it and I feel like I can add some value, and sometimes I'm just his mom and let him do his thing. "You just gotta go with the flow. He asks a lot of questions, not so much technique with me maybe, but just (about) traveling and what was your greatest shot, your most important memory. I love to have that discussion." Coach Steve: When is it time to stop coaching your child in sports? Ask yourself these 3 questions 'Feel the temperature': Put your kids in situations to succeed, fail and express themselves Golf was hard, but Sorenstam dove into the challenge to figure it out. It was like finding a missing piece of the puzzle that formed her identity. Playing it was fun, but then it became terrifying. Tom and Gunilla started to see a pattern in Annika's near-misses at tournaments. They called ahead to an upcoming one. When it was complete, Annika was asked to say something. "My reply was, 'Well, I didn't win,' and they said, 'We know, but we'd like to hear from you,' " Sorenstam says. Her heart was pumping, her palms sweating. Her dad told her to grab her seven-iron and make a simple statement, like, "I let my clubs do the talking." "I realized after that, 'Oh, that was it,' " she says, and public speaking became easier. "It's interesting how parents sometimes, they say we did so well, but she or he played so poorly," she says. "It's like they have a third person. I think it's really important to separate the athlete vs. the human and just really understand that the sport is helping you to grow as a human being, and not vice versa. Be able to separate that and not judge by the score." Her dad's was a calculated nudge she has learned to use as a parent herself. She likes to ask Will three questions after he plays: How did it go? What did you do well? What can you do better? "And it's kind of up to him. I'm not going to tell him: 'I think you should do this better,' " she says. He'll tell her something, and then say, "I got it." "Whether he actually knows or not, he's telling himself, 'That's probably what I need to do,' " she says. "And I think for us, it's worked quite well, because I want him to be accountable and responsible for his own thing, and then if he doesn't know, then just ask me. I don't want him to feel when we get in the car ride home that he's like trapped in a car, and I'm bombarding him with questions. You have to kind of feel the temperature." Coach Steve: Tips for the car ride home. Hint: Don't be like Andre Agassi's dad It's putting the power of the experience in our kids hands for their own self-discovery, she says, no matter what our level of accomplishment. We learn with each kid when to push and when to pull back. "Hopefully he feels the safety net, but I'm only there if he needs it," she says. "Otherwise, I'm just gonna let him do his thing because that's how he learns. I've learned that myself: If he gets in a sticky situation, or if he's on the golf course (and) it's not working, he can't ask me anyway. He's gotta try to figure it out. So I might as well try to give him all the help early on and let him learn from his mistakes." 'The goal is to make great individuals': We can go the distance with sports The message with Will is one Sorenstam emphasizes to young golfers, whom she worked with in Phoenix in May and tentatively plans to see at clinics in Denver (August) and Austin (September) through "Golf with Us." Bank of America is offering kids 6 to 18 a free one-year membership through June 15 to its Youth on Course program, which grants access to rounds for $5 or less at affiliated courses. The clinics are open to Youth on Course members in the market and to children from youth partner organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sorenstam says she's not necessarily trying to create the next superstar but use golf, or whichever sport they choose, to help unlock things like dedication, curiosity, competitiveness and attention to fitness. "The goal is to make great individuals that represent the sport, and not so much just result and performance,' she says. 'It's really tough today with pressure and expectations. It's better if you can build a solid foundation and then once you have that, you can go out and be successful in whatever you choose. 'There's so many things you can do within the sport, whether it's running an event or sports marketing or manufacturing. If you love sports, there's so many things you can do more than just play it and you can still be around the sport. [Don't forget sports writing.] To help kids find the right fit, we can be engaged from a distance while letting them learn, explore, hit and miss on their own. Kids are more resilient than you think, especially the shy ones. "People think that people that have done well, it's a straight line, straight journey; that you have no issues, you're not scared, things come really easily," she says. "But I think we all have weaknesses that we got to work on and try to improve." Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@
USA Today
03-06-2025
- Health
- USA Today
'Don't be a helicopter parent': Annika Sorenstam's tips for your kid's sports experience
'Don't be a helicopter parent': Annika Sorenstam's tips for your kid's sports experience Show Caption Hide Caption Cooper Flagg's mom shares her best tips for parents navigating youth sports Mackenzie Salmon sat down with Cooper Flagg's mom Kelly to talk about how she successfully navigated the world of youth sports. Sports Seriously Have you been this kid? "I wouldn't raise my hand in class to answer a question in case I would say the wrong thing," Annika Sorenstam says. "I was always afraid that my classmates would laugh at me." She would even miss on purpose – maybe hit a three-putt, maybe leave the ball at the bunker – coming down the stretch at junior golf tournaments so she wouldn't have to speak in front of a crowd. "They wanted the winner to give remarks of some kind, even at early ages," she tells USA TODAY Sports, "just to kind of teach you more than the game itself, and I remember just being so afraid of it. I could finish second or third and still get a prize. "But you can imagine that would haunt me because I practiced a lot and I'm very competitive and got home knowing that I could have won it." Sorenstam, who would go on to win 10 major tournaments, 72 events on the LPGA Tour and make hundreds of post-round comments, says shyness has always been her weakness. But today it's a smaller hurdle she can clear because of lessons she learned from her parents and from sports that she has continued to apply. She's now a mom of two teenagers (Ava, 15, and Will, 14) trying like us to distinguish their individual traits, and to give them room to grown into them, like she did. "I always tell people, 'Get back to me in 10 years,' " she says. "I'll let you know if it worked." Sorenstam, 54, has been instructing for 18 years through her ANNIKA foundation, which empowers and advances the cause of young women in golf and life. This spring and summer, she is running clinics for Bank of America's "Golf with Us" program to help give more boys and girls access to experiences similar to what she had. She doesn't formally coach Will, her rising junior golfer, though. "I've learned you don't want to be a helicopter parent," she says. "You're so invested and you're so engaged and you're so caring. We all love them so much and we just want them to succeed, and then it's just, how do you handle it?" Here's her advice for parents and their athletes to help us all figure out golf, sports and overcoming our fears. Foster independence through enjoyment of sport Sorenstam's mother, Gunilla, would swing a golf club when she was pregnant with her. She jokes with her daughter about how the action propelled her into her future. Sorenstam describes her development as more of "one of those slow loves." Slow, indeed. She grew up near Stockholm, Sweden, where she could whisk down ski slopes. Tennis, which she played for eight years, was her first love, not golf. "I really didn't like it in the beginning," she says. "It was for older people and I wanted to chase a ball." Gunilla and her father, Tom, weren't experts as much as facilitators for Sorenstam and her sister, Charlotta, who would also play on the LPGA Tour. The freedom to choose their favorite sport sparked curiosity. "It was just giving us the resources," Annika says. "Driving us to the golf course or driving us to the tennis tournaments, providing the stuff that we needed. Not like a coach or anything; it was more they're loving parents and not very pushy and just kind of help us and guide us through the steps. And I think that worked quite well. "I disappointed them in my own way, but not through the score. And I always felt like they had my back. And on the contrary, I wanted them to be pleased and happy with what I was doing." She reflects today with a knowing chuckle about how right it felt: the way the support built her up inside and helped her along her teenage journey. A seminal moment came when she was 16, and she had found her sport. "I want to play golf," she told her parents. "I don't think I really knew where the golf would take me," she says. "It was more just kind of a hobby. I enjoyed playing. And then I got a little better. And then I played some tournaments. And then one thing kind of led to another." 'Go with the flow': Instead of having expectations for your kid athletes, be willing to adapt and change as they do It's a process she started over again when her kids were very young and they traveled with her to golf events. "They probably thought that was work," Sorenstam says, "and that's not what they wanted to do." These can be delicate times with our kids and their sports. We can teach lessons on grip, ball position and aim by sprinkling them in while playing with friends ("It's very convincing when friends play a certain sport," she says) or having putting competitions. "I am a big believer in understanding the fundamentals of the sport early on," Sorenstam says, "and then just let them learn and let them test." We don't always have to emphasize drilling. We can take breaks, she says, to stack golf balls into pyramids or stress the concepts of the sport with a soccer ball. "Introduce them to the game so it doesn't become so focused on golf and having to do everything perfectly," she says. "I think that's when you lose your kid early, because it's all this structure. There's a fine line of having structure. There's a fine line of having etiquette. And I think you have to find that balance. "When your kid leaves the golf course or the driving range you want them to have a smile on their face. Then I think you've been successful." Over the years, we have seen Will's eyes drawn to not only Tiger and Charlie Woods but to his mom as they play the course at the PNC Championship together. "Slow down, Mommy," he said in 2023 as they walked down the 18th fairway in Orlando, Florida. "I don't want this moment to end." Will and his sister tried just about every other sport Sorenstam and husband Mike McGee played – "I was the mean mom; I didn't give him a chance to play football," Annika says – before Ava made the varsity softball team and he settled on golf. It's all he wants to do. Sorenstam has explained how she loves watching him become more of a feel player than her as he experiments with his shots. She sees a natural separation from us that comes with development. "We practice a lot together," Sorenstam says, "but he's also kind of a student of the game, so about a year ago, I said, 'I think you need to find a real coach' and he was like, 'Well, I want to work with you.' I said, 'That's fine, but then you have to listen.' That didn't really work out very well so he's working with somebody. "It's good to get a different perspective. I love to attend some of his lessons and learn so that when we do play, I can be of help a little bit, because I know what they're working on. … I know a little golf and sometimes he wants to talk about it and I feel like I can add some value, and sometimes I'm just his mom and let him do his thing. "You just gotta go with the flow. He asks a lot of questions, not so much technique with me maybe, but just (about) traveling and what was your greatest shot, your most important memory. I love to have that discussion." Coach Steve: When is it time to stop coaching your child in sports? Ask yourself these 3 questions 'Feel the temperature': Put your kids in situations to succeed, fail and express themselves Golf was hard, but Sorenstam dove into the challenge to figure it out. It was like finding a missing piece of the puzzle that formed her identity. Playing it was fun, but then it became terrifying. Tom and Gunilla started to see a pattern in Annika's near-misses at tournaments. They called ahead to an upcoming one. When it was complete, Annika was asked to say something. "My reply was, 'Well, I didn't win,' and they said, 'We know, but we'd like to hear from you,' " Sorenstam says. Her heart was pumping, her palms sweating. Her dad told her to grab her seven iron and say something simple like, "I let my clubs do the talking." "I realized after that, 'Oh, that was it,' " she says, and public speaking became easier. "It's interesting how parents sometimes, they say we did so well, but she or he played so poorly," she says. "It's like they have a third person. I think it's really important to separate the athlete vs. the human and just really understand that the sport is helping you to grow as a human being, and not vice versa. Be able to separate that and not judge by the score." Her dad's was a calculated nudge she has learned to use as a parent herself. She likes to ask Will three questions after he plays: How did it go? What did you do well? What can you do better? "And it's kind of up to him. I'm not going to tell him: 'I think you should do this better,' " she says. He'll tell her something, and then say, "I got it." "Whether he actually knows or not, he's telling himself, 'That's probably what I need to do,' " she says. "And I think for us, it's worked quite well, because I want him to be accountable and responsible for his own thing, and then if he doesn't know, then just ask me. I don't want him to feel when we get in the car ride home that he's like trapped in a car, and I'm bombarding him with questions. You have to kind of feel the temperature." Coach Steve: Tips for the car ride home. Hint: Don't be like Andre Agassi's dad It's putting the power of the experience in our kids hands for their own self-discovery, she says, no matter what our level of accomplishment. We learn with each kid when to push and when to pull back. "Hopefully he feels the safety net, but I'm only there if he needs it," she says. "Otherwise, I'm just gonna let him do his thing because that's how he learns. I've learned that myself: If he gets in a sticky situation, or if he's on the golf course (and) it's not working, he can't ask me anyway. He's gotta try to figure it out. So I might as well try to give him all the help early on and let him learn from his mistakes." 'The goal is to make great individuals': We can go the distance with sports The message with Will is one Sorenstam emphasizes to young golfers, whom she worked with in Phoenix in May and tentatively plans to see at clinics in Denver (August) and Austin (September) through "Golf with Us." Bank of America is offering kids 6 to 18 a free one-year membership through June 15 to its Youth on Course program, which grants access to rounds for $5 or less at affiliated courses. The clinics are open to Youth on Course members in the market and to children from youth partner organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of America. Sorenstam says she's not necessarily trying to create the next superstar but use golf, or whichever sport they choose, to help unlock things like dedication, curiosity, competitiveness and attention to fitness. "The goal is to make great individuals that represent the sport, and not so much just result and performance,' she says. 'It's really tough today with pressure and expectations. It's better if you can build a solid foundation and then once you have that, you can go out and be successful in whatever you choose. 'There's so many things you can do within the sport, whether it's running an event or sports marketing or manufacturing. If you love sports, there's so many things you can do more than just play it and you can still be around the sport. [Don't forget sports writing.] To help kids find the right fit, we can be engaged from a distance while letting them learn, explore, hit and miss on their own. Kids are more resilient than you think, especially the shy ones. "People think that people that have done well, it's a straight line, straight journey; that you have no issues, you're not scared, things come really easily," she says. "But I think we all have weaknesses that we got to work on and try to improve." Steve Borelli, aka Coach Steve, has been an editor and writer with USA TODAY since 1999. He spent 10 years coaching his two sons' baseball and basketball teams. He and his wife, Colleen, are now sports parents for two high schoolers. His column is posted weekly. For his past columns, click here. Got a question for Coach Steve you want answered in a column? Email him at sborelli@
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Is Rested, Ready to Be Her Best After Offseason Recharge
[Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 WNBA Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] After a year in which Caitlin Clark lived in the national spotlight, the Indiana Fever star finally had what she hadn't enjoyed in a long time: a real offseason. Advertisement For the first time since she was in middle school, the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and now centerpiece of the Fever (and WNBA) wasn't rushing from one basketball season to the next. No Final Four to prepare for. No USA Basketball commitments on the immediate horizon. No whirlwind travel schedule — unless you count the occasional speaking engagement or round of golf. Even when she recorded her latest national commercials, brands such as State Farm and Gatorade came to her in Indianapolis. Now firmly rooted in Indy, Clark used this rare offseason to rest, recharge and prepare for her second WNBA season. Even though she values her time away from the spotlight, she accepts and embraces her role as one of the faces of women's basketball. And in true Caitlin Clark fashion, she's doing it all with grace, humor and unmatched competitive drive. Since her breakout sophomore season at Iowa, Clark has been in near-constant motion. The year-round cycle of college basketball, offseason training and personal interests left little room for rest. But this offseason, that changed for Time magazine's 2024 Athlete of the Year. Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark waves to her former college teammates at the Big Ten women's basketball tournament game between the Iowa Hawkeyes and Wisconsin Badgers in Indianapolis on March 5, 2025. Grace Smith / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images From Tee Boxes to Big-Time Events Clark didn't spend all her offseason in the gym. She also made time for a little fun. Advertisement As the Fever's season concluded, fans wondered about her next move. Would she participate in offseason leagues? Head overseas? Clark's comments hinted at a different kind of activity, and it went over the heads of many. With a touch of her characteristic humor, she joked about becoming a professional golfer. 'Now everyone thinks I'm such a good golfer,' she later said at Pelican Golf Club in Clearwater, Florida, ahead of her first of two pro-ams. 'I set myself up for failure with that.' But when Clark puts her mind to something, she's all in. After the season, she practiced at local courses and hired a golf pro to get her prepared. At the pro-am prior to the ANNIKA — Annika Sorenstam's LPGA event in November — she played the front nine with world No. 1 Nelly Korda and the back nine with the legendary Sorenstam. Advertisement 'I've practiced a little bit, and I just had the quote about becoming a professional golfer,' Clark said. 'Everybody thought I was serious. I was not serious. I love it. I love being outside and making it competitive with my friends. That's what's been fun about it.' Clark's presence at the first pro-am boosted ticket sales by 1,200%. By the time she arrived at the 18th green, hundreds of patrons were waiting to get a glimpse of Clark in a different arena. Other groups had only a handful of spectators. Clark is one of the most in-demand pro athletes in the world. That has empowered her to decline potentially lucrative deals and appearances — such as a seven-figure salary and equity in startup 3v3 league Unrivaled, and an invitation from the NBA to participate in a shooting contest as part of All-Star Weekend in San Francisco. Rather than overextend herself, she prioritized her individual training and offseason work. Also, she wants her first 3-point contest to be in Indianapolis, which will host WNBA All-Star Weekend for the first time in July. Advertisement Clark has involved herself in many other activities, including serving as a producer for 'Full Court Press,' a docuseries on ESPN+ in conjunction with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions that follows the lives of several elite women's college basketball players. She was featured in the first season. Clark was a special guest on Indianapolis native David Letterman's Netflix show 'My Next Guest Needs No Introduction.' Tickets to the private taping at Ball State University sold out in minutes. Then the NFL, the strongest brand in sports, wanted to hear from Clark. So they invited her to the owners meetings in Palm Beach, Florida, to speak on a panel with Serena Williams and Eli Manning, cementing her status as a prominent figure in the wider sports landscape. While playing in the NBA Global Games in Paris in January, Indiana Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton fielded a question about Clark. 'She's just an amazing person, an amazing player,' he replied. 'I think when it comes to the game of basketball, she's probably in the top-five most famous people that are playing right now. Just in general, that includes our league (NBA) as well. Advertisement 'And she handles it with such grace, and she's like such a cool person. At the end of the day, she's just a girl from Iowa who's just really good at basketball, and it's really cool to see what she does.' Golf legend Annika Sorenstam and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark celebrate after a shot during the ANNIKA pro-am tournament at Pelican Golf Club on Nov. 13, Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Last season, the Fever averaged a TV audience of 1.2 million viewers per game and attracted in-person fans from all 50 states and more than 15 countries. They wanted to see No. 22 in action and experience the movement. 'She's like Taylor Swift 2.0,' said Stephanie White, her new head coach who watched from afar with the Connecticut Sun last season. 'She has that much stardom and fandom. She certainly is a generational talent. She's handled this with such grace and poise. And at the end of the day, she's just a basketball player who wants to go out and be the best that she can be.' If only it were that simple. Advertisement Talent, money and fame complicate life, too. She's easily recognized, and even most casual sports fans know who she is and appreciate that she's elevated her sport — selling out arenas, appearing all over national TV and bringing new fans to the women's game. Clark feels like everybody's watching her every move. Because they are. She needs security to attend public events; her appearances aren't usually advertised beforehand; and like on the basketball court, her eyes are constantly reading the room. 'I try to be the best human I can every day,' she said after the season. 'I try to give people time if I have it. And it can be hard because there are moments where you don't always want to pose for a picture; you just want to go and get your sandwich and eat your lunch. But I feel very thankful. I wouldn't change anything for the world. 'I feel very thankful for the relationships I built, the opportunities that I've had, the way people have supported me. And whether it was at Iowa or whether it's now at the WNBA, they have really supported me and loved watching me play basketball and watching my teams play basketball.' Caitlin Clark hits a tee shot in the ANNIKA golf tournament Pro Am at Pelican Golf Club on Nov. 13, Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Staying Local, Training Hard While many WNBA players head elsewhere during the offseason, Clark made the deliberate choice to stay in Indianapolis, even getting an Indiana driver's license. Advertisement Clark wasn't sure what this unusually quiet part of her young life was going to be like. For years, school and basketball dictated her schedule year-round. 'It's going to be nice, though, getting out of the spotlight and just getting to live my life and do things that I want to do,' she said. This period in her life gave her time to reflect on the past 12 months while also focusing on resting and building her body. Time to catch up on sleep. Time to go through drills at her pace and not have to prepare for another life-changing event in two weeks — like going from the national title game to the WNBA Draft, and then to training camp. Clark, who turned 23 in January, did things on her terms. Being in Indy also allowed her to attend two of the three Taylor Swift concerts at Lucas Oil Stadium, including one as Swift's guest. Her only disappointment was not attending the final show. Advertisement 'I think just the way Taylor unites people and brought the city of Indianapolis and even the people that traveled here to enjoy it. My mom flew in, and she said the airport was just crazy. … I think it was such a cool thing to experience.' Then in mid-January, just before her birthday, she took Swift up on her offer to join her in the suite for a Kansas City Chiefs playoff game. The West Des Moines, Iowa, native grew up a Chiefs fan, plus it was Swift. Of course, she was going to enjoy it. Like Swift, Clark's aspirations are big. And her focus is on the daily process. As much as Clark is a night owl, she also likes to get to the gym early and knock out a workout and lift. The Fever excited fans when the digital team occasionally posted photos from her workouts. However, she mostly worked in silence, as it should be. Caitlin Clark 2024 WNBA stats G PPG RPG APG FG% 3-pt FG% 40 19.2 5.7 8.4 .417 .344 In the seven months between seasons, she had two individual goals: get stronger and add a reliable floater to her arsenal. Known for her deep 3-pointers and incredible passing, Clark didn't feel as confident in her midrange game. Advertisement During her rookie season, she was immediately pressed full court — as in all 94 feet — like it was a playoff game. No other player consistently faced that level of pressure. The physicality of the league was the biggest adjustment, along with frequently facing athletic bigs who were lengthy and quick. Defenses trapped heavily, and both she and her teammates improved how they attacked. Now, as she heads into Year 2, things look quite a bit different with the Fever. Just four other players are returning. Adding experience to go along with the three foundational pieces of Clark, Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell, this Fever team moved from a rebuild one year ago to become a championship contender. That's because of Clark. Advertisement The Fever's goal last season was to simply return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and they accomplished that. First-round series are best-of-three, and under the previous WNBA playoff format, the first two games were played at the higher seed. So the Fever, who sold more tickets all season than any other team (home and away), never got to host a playoff game. That format was changed shortly after the season ended to ensure that all playoff teams host at least one playoff game — part of the evolution of this young league. 'Next year, we're wanting to be a top-four seed,' said Clark. 'We believe we can build this place into a championship contender. That's what I believe. I'm going to do everything in my power to help this organization get there. But you've got to let it hurt you a little bit and really drive you throughout the offseason.' Advertisement What's even more impressive is that Clark said all this before the significant changes occurred. That, in part, has helped fuel her offseason. She enjoyed a remarkable first season, earning Rookie of the Year and All-WNBA first-team honors, and she still has more goals to strive for. 'I think just as a point guard and as a leader, there are a lot of areas that I can continue to improve,' she acknowledged. 'And I'm a competitor and somebody that loves to work. 'So it won't be hard for me to want to get in the gym and to get even better and get better for my teammates.' Stephanie White speaks at a press conference to introduce her as head coach of the Indiana Fever on Nov. 4, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Mykal McEldowney / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The Fever's Offseason Overhaul The Fever are all-in. They understand that drafting Clark at No. 1 completely altered the trajectory of the franchise, and they don't want to waste a single season. Advertisement The team announced plans for a $78 million state-of-the-art practice facility right by Gainbridge Fieldhouse, signaling a significant investment in the team's future. Set to open before the 2027 season, it will easily be the largest in the league at 108,000 square feet. It will include lifestyle elements such as a hair and nail salon, child-care space, production studio for player content and mental performance spaces to help athletes off the court. They already had their own practice court and weight room, but this takes things to another level. Moreover, the Fever brought in a new front office and a new coaching staff, and they will have up to seven new players. 'There's a lot of change, and I think it's a lot of change for the better,' said guard Lexie Hull. 'We're building a really exciting team, a team that's going to be chasing that championship ring.' White, who was born in Indiana, won a national title at Purdue and was previously on the Fever staff, is taking over for a coaching staff that was hired for a rebuild. She will help tremendously as a smart, experienced coach — and someone who serves as a TV game analyst during the offseason. No coach will talk or be in the spotlight more than White, who can help her team with handling that component as well. Advertisement Her team in Connecticut last season boasted the league's top-ranked defense. The Fever's offseason focused on bringing in experienced, championship-level players who could be versatile, shoot and defend. DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard are the two big-name additions. 'I think it'll be a lot of fun to get in the gym and be with my teammates and just start putting the pieces together and see what works, what doesn't work,' Clark said. 'We're going to have a lot of different options to do a lot of different things, and I think that's what's super exciting about it all.' The appeal for free agents to join Clark with the Fever is obvious. Adding White and her coaching staff helped seal the deal. 'I would think that if you are a smart basketball player and you watch the way she plays, you would want to play with [Clark],' said Kelly Krauskopf, the original architect of the franchise who returned to her post as team president. 'Much like Tyrese Haliburton, she gets you the ball in places that you didn't even know you were open because she passes to space, she finds openings and ways to free up other players. Advertisement 'I think it's an easy picture to paint to free agents.' The team scheduled a preseason game against the Brazilian national team at the University of Iowa. Loyal Hawkeyes fans snatched up 15,000 tickets in less than 45 minutes. Wherever she goes, whatever she does, the fans follow. Indiana Fever president of basketball and business operations Kelly Krauskopf speaks at a press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Feb. McEldowney / IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Clark's Growing Brand — and the WNBA's Boom It's not just the Fever benefiting from Clark's growing stardom. Merchandise sales and social media views have soared. League attendance was up 48% over the 2023 season, and every network that aired a WNBA game set a viewership record. Clark's entrance into the WNBA led to its most-watched season, including an increase of 211% for fans under 35. Advertisement 'We've seen such a huge inflection of attention, and the way she plays the game, I think that's going to be sustainable,' Krauskopf said. 'There's something about the way she plays the game — her passing, her shooting — that people really identify with.' Perhaps the best illustration was the TV viewership for the 2025 Final Four. The women's championship game drew 8.5 million viewers, which is huge compared to previous standards. However, that was down significantly from the staggering 18.9 million who tuned in the year before, when Clark's Iowa team lost to South Carolina. That year's game outdrew the men's championship game for the first time. 'I think the Fever in general — they're like rock stars,' added Haliburton. 'They are a big part of the growth behind that league, and they will be a big part of that moving forward.' Clark made the Fever must-see TV. Now that she has finally enjoyed an offseason, she's prepared for an even bigger year ahead. Advertisement Related: Athlon Sports 2025 WNBA Preview Magazine Available Now Related: Fans Feel the Chills With Latest Caitlin Clark, Fever Video Related: Caitlin Clark Makes Her Opinion of New Fever Teammate Extremely Clear
