Caitlin Clark showed she has the same mentality as Cristiano Ronaldo in an emphatic interview after being named as Time’s Athlete of the Year. She may have only just completed her debut campaign in the WNBA, but the Indiana Fever point guard has become one of the most famous athletes in the world today.
The 22-year-old broke numerous records in her debut season with Fever, including setting the league’s single-season assist record and rookie scoring record and becoming the first rookie to ever record a triple-double – the achievement of accumulating double digits in points in assists, blocks, points, rebounds and steals. Her performances have seen the WNBA become a mainstream sport in the United States, with viewing figures constantly breaking new records.
Yet, Clark is not fazed by all of the new attention. In a similar fashion to how Ronaldo would expertly block out the noise so he could perform for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, Clark is able to get herself in the zone all the time.
When asked how she is able to maintain her focus in the face of constant tidal waves of attention, Clark told Time: “I have a great skill of just blocking it out. I don’t care what people say about me.”
She added: “I tell people I feel like the most controversial person. But I am not. It’s just because of all the storylines that surround me. I literally try to live and treat everybody in the same exact respectful, kind way. It just confuses me at times.”
Ronaldo admitted he taught himself to block out all of the noise around him in an interview with the BBC in 2015. The five-time Ballon d’Or winner said: “To improve more it’s very tough.
“I just want to maintain because this is I think the most difficult part for a football player. In my mind, I’m always the best. I don’t care what people think, what they say. In my mind, not just this year but always, I’m always the best.”
While Clark still has a long way to go before she can put up the kind of engagement figures Ronaldo has, she has become a global sporting mega-star very quickly. Six different WNBA television partners reported that they set new viewership records when they aired Fever’s matches.
Looking back on these sensational viewing numbers, she added: “You feel powerful. Instantly, everybody goes crazy.
“People are invested in the game, they love the game, and that’s what makes it so fun for me. These people aren’t supporting women’s sports to check a box. It’s going to be the new normal.”
Clark is currently in her off-season, but she did play in the LPGA Pro-Am alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam, although her golfing skills were not quite as sharp as her basketball plays.
