Caitlin Clark, Maya Moore, and a 10-second encounter that transformed Clark’s life

Caitlin Clark likes to use the phrase “ten seconds that changed her life” to describe the event.

Is it possible that you are exaggerating? Clark, who was selected first overall in the WNBA draft and will begin her career with the Indiana Fever on Friday when she plays in her first preseason game, which will be played at Dallas, most likely would have grown up to be a transcendent basketball star even if Maya Moore, who won the WNBA Most Valuable Player award in 2014, hadn’t hugged her after a Minnesota Lynx game and congratulated her on her accomplishments.

There is a good chance that Clark would have still rewritten the record books, landed a shoe deal for eight figures, and attracted millions of new followers to the women’s game.

On the other hand, that ten seconds left an imprint.
A Lynx game was held in Minneapolis ten years ago, and Caitlin was twelve years old at the time. Her father, Brent, drove her from their home in Des Moines, Iowa, to Minneapolis. At that time, Moore was the most dominant player in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). She led the Lynx to four championships in seven seasons and was named Most Valuable Player of the Finals in 2013. Following the conclusion of the game, Clark made her way forward and gave Moore, her favorite player, a hug while the fans mingled on the field.

Since she did not have a camera on hand, she was unable to make a request for a photograph. Clark, however, did not require evidence that it had taken place. You may ask her about it right now, and she will recall it quite clearly.

Clark smiled as he reflected on the significance of the moment and stated, “Ten seconds can go a long way in somebody’s life.” “That’s a good lesson whether you play sports or don’t play sports, how you treat somebody matters.”
Even after ten years, there is still a clear and noticeable ripple effect that resulted from that interaction.

According to Clark, who is always being pursued for signatures and photographs wherever she goes, “I just try to take as much time as I can for those young girls because Maya was so nice to me when I ran up to her, and that’s something that’s stuck with me all the way until I’m 22 years old,” she added. She is frequently delighted to comply, ensuring that the dozens of children, in particular, who gather around her, get a sense of being seen.

Maya Moore says Caitlin Clark is ‘more than stats’

At the same time that she is getting ready to guide the United States of America to their eighth consecutive gold medal in women’s basketball at the 2024 Paris Games, Olympic coach Cheryl Reeve, who coached Moore in Minnesota, is witnessing the women’s game experience a surge in popularity. She is taking great pleasure in it. The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) has been around for a long enough time for young players to have spent their entire lives looking up to women who were instrumental in the development of the league, according to her. In contrast to the early WNBA stars, such as Sheryl Swoopes, who is now 53 years old, who only had the opportunity to interact with professional players in the NBA, this is a remarkable difference.

According to Reeve, “Why do we refer to it as a movement? Because we’ve already experienced moments.” Now that we are in a movement, I believe that it is a clear correlation to the fact that the Women’s National Basketball Association has been around for 28 years. What you have here are young players who are hoping to be players, women and girls, who are playing at a much younger age and developing their skills at a much earlier age. You can hear them saying things like, “I want to play like Breanna Stewart,” or “Caitlin Clark wants to play like Maya Moore.” They are having this conversation in their garden. Cynthia Cooper was the model that Maya Moore aspired to be like.

There are a lot of WNBA luminaries who like to talk about how Clark will revolutionize the league, which is 28 years old, with her logo 3s and the unparalleled demand for tickets to watch her play. However, Moore does see something more significant in the horizon.

What steps can she take to alter the WNBA? Moore stated to USA TODAY Sports that there are a great deal of different ways to respond to that issue. “I believe that she is someone who is a great deal more than just statistics. Her community is the recipient of her efforts to bring that enthusiasm and excitement to it. The way in which she will use her influence to make her community and her teammates better is something that I am looking forward to watching.

During the remarkable period of Clark’s tenure with the Hawkeyes, Iowa achieved a remarkable record of 65-12 in her final two years, and she participated in consecutive national championship games. Coach Lisa Bluder frequently expressed her delight in the excitement that her team offered to the audience, whether of whether they were watching from the stadium or on television.

Those who know Clark the best and have been there for her throughout her journey from basketball kid to sports megastar have a tendency to agree on this particular topic.

Brent Clark told USA TODAY Sports that nothing makes him prouder or more emotional than hearing how Caitlin’s game provides others with a break from an otherwise difficult day. This is true despite the fact that his daughter has accomplished a great deal.

“The stories I hear from people, the stuff you don’t even think about, where maybe someone has a parent in hospice, maybe their memory is fading, but when Caitlin’s on, it’s must-see TV, even if neither of these people have ever watched basketball before, where it gives a person two hours to enjoy with their parents or loved one, that’s the most special element of everything she does,” Brent told USA TODAY Sports with a voice that caught his attention. “She gives people hope, she brings them joy − just by being who she is.”
In his words, it’s a moment that completes the circle. Why? Because Caitlin considered Moore to be that person.

Caitlin Clark credits Maya Moore for ‘the platform I can be on now’

It is now that Caitlin will have the chance to be that for a large number of other children, possibly even hundreds of thousands or millions. And it is only fitting that when Moore retires, he will be able to see Clark do exactly that while cheering him on from the sidelines.

“It’s super sweet to know that the time you take with the people who love watching you play matters and means something,” Moore told the sports publication USA TODAY Sports. The most important thing is not necessarily to act in a particular manner, but rather to be as authentic as I possibly can, because that is what people require… Becoming aware of the fact that I played a role in assisting Caitlin in maintaining her commitment to being kind to others is both humbling and uplifting. One more thing that serves as a reminder that each of us has a part to play and that each of us has the capacity to affect someone else.

During the month of March, Moore surprised Clark before Iowa’s senior game versus Ohio State. This was the first time that Clark and Moore had the opportunity to meet one other. At the moment that Moore came into the hall outside of Iowa’s locker room to see Clark, the two-time national player of the year let out a squeal of excitement. The introduction was put up by ESPN’s College GameDay, with assistance from State Farm. While she was staring at her hero in admiration, it was clear that she was overjoyed to finally meet Moore. She laughed and said that she felt like she was “fangirling so hard” and hugged Moore multiple times before she departed to get ready for the day.

After the game in which she became the all-time scoring leader in Division I, whether it was for men’s or women’s, Clark expressed that the occasional hugs had a “magnitude” to them. This was the game in which she became the leader in scoring. The reason she fell in love with women’s basketball “was because of her (Moore) and how good the Lynx were,” Clark explained. “I wanted to be just like her.”

Moore and other players who helped construct “the platform I can be on now,” athletes who broke down boundaries to help elevate the game to its current stature, are the recipients of Clark’s ecstatic appreciation. Clark is effusive in her admiration for Moore and others. In spite of the fact that she is only 22 years old, she is full of perspective and thoughtfulness over how the game arrived at this point.

On the other hand, she is a fan first and foremost. And even now, when she thinks of Moore, the young girl in her still gets a little star struck.

Clark stated that she would have requested Moore to sign her arm if she had a sharpie on hand when she ran on the floor to meet her hero. Moore would have signed her arm. Even now, after ten years have passed, “I would still be willing to take her autograph.”