Caitlin Clark Joins The Pat McAfee Show After Becoming The #1 Pick In The WNBA Draft

joining us now ladies and gentlemen is

a woman who has captivated the entire

Globe sells out Arenas everywhere she

goes now she's a member of the Indiana

Fever ladies and gentlemen Caitlyn

[Applause]

claw

Jersey thank you so much for coming hi

how we doing hey the uh oh you got the

cereal too yeah I opened it though so

don't judge we got two boxes I just

wanted to see yeah did you have any of

it no so I didn't dive in we didn't have

milk it was a whole thing it was uh it

was a whole thing yeah you need the milk

yeah I agree and I will eat I'm a Serial

person that guy's not though he's hate

cereal sorry I won't have it yeah he's a

bad guy he didn't grow up in Iowa well

actually I do love the Fe hey thank you

for this of course will you sign this of

course okay later we'll get it later we

we don't have a lot of time I have

something for you actually oh gosh no

this could be anything

no very very true as a welcome to the

city which we are incredibly lucky to

have you I'm excited I hope you felt

that from all of Indianapolis okay the

Indianapolis coach brought something up

here for me to give to you and uh I

believe literally you can play whatever

position you want on the team it's a uh

it is an official jersey yeah yeah go

absolutely so if you want to play on

Sundays I know there's been a lot of

offers for you to play on Saturdays and

three on threes and stuff there could be

some Sunday games as well we're all

pumped that you're here and uh I hope

you feel that so let's go back back to

whenever you decided you were going to

come to the WNBA you knew immediately

then you were going to be a member of

the fever right is that accurate yeah it

was it was pretty pretty sent stone for

the most part so were you pumped about

that how much research did you do and uh

ultimately what led to that decision of

going to the WNBA yeah so when the the

draft lottery happened I actually had a

game on the same exact night but I was I

was hoping the fever got the first pick

and obviously I'm a Midwest girl I'm

from Iowa like this is 5 hours from Iowa

City 7 hours from De Moine where I grew

up um but I'm super pumped like this is

a basketball state like people love it

here and obviously aiyah Boston being on

the team she's one of my former

teammates on uh Team USA like I think I

I've just been stoked and like people

have been excited even before I got

drafted about about this opportunity so

now that I'm he bought Seas tickets he

bought tickets we did as well yeah

business booming let's talk about you

you talked about where you grew up over

there in Iowa which is a massive piece

of the the story he's from Iowa as well

so he's incredibly proud that an Iowan

representing Iowa let's give his his hat

a shout out

I me look right what lot lot of a gear

here got coach BL Bob I had that in my

apartment too right on my desk where I

do all my work what make its way to

Indie has to the BL bobblehead can't

leave that behind yeah put it right

there like good luck it hit her head you

know Boop yeah that's hilarious uh so

where you grew up in Iowa then you stay

at Iowa when you did you just put up

like 10,000 shots a day how do we get to

this because my big takeaway I was a

punter College I kicked a lot of things

in between the ears obviously and I

think Steph Curry when he was getting

close to the record for threes in the

NBA he even experienced like a little

bit of overthought when you pulled up

for the women's record it was a first

quarter you just scored and it was just

splash and then for the overall record

you're on a foul line the whole world is

looking at you by myself I was like oh

my gosh it should be really bad if I air

balled right okay so you are a human I

was cuz I was about to ask like no like

that's the worst thing in basketball

where you have to shoot a free throw

with nobody on the line like it's just

like it's weird like you don't do it

often but no I don't I don't really

think about it like that during games

like when I pulled up for the record

like that was the only way I was going

to get the record was just a long three

I had to okay so you do like 10,000

shots a day growing up what like legit

are you just like you've been addicted

to basketball your whole life like how

did we get to this point where you're

not only incredibly confident as you

should be but like you just go into a

zone out there that not a lot of humans

have ever got into and I I hope you

recognize that yeah I like I loved

basketball growing up like it's it's

what I did my dad played in college I

had an older brother and he like always

played so I just like tagged around with

him and I begged my dad like put a hoop

out in the driveway and like tear up

some grass and like pour a bunch more

concrete so I could have an entire

three-point line cuz I could only have

like half of one with the time being so

I was out there a lot um I would go to

the gym all the time like I just I loved

working on my game I played all the time

I played aou um but I also played other

sports too like it wasn't always

basketball um but once I got into like

middle school and high school I knew

that was like kind of my future what

other sports soccer I did track I did

softball I was pretty good at soccer and

I liked it but basketball worked out a

little better well we don't know what

would happen with know we don't know

maybe I messed up I don't know no no you

did not mess up and by the way how you

played 20 years in WNBA you could

probably go back and do soccer still

that's the type of athlete that's the

type of athlete you are and before the

boys have their questions and we're

thankful that you're taking time to come

here people talk about like uh Dallas

Clark obviously another Iowan friend of

mine teammate of mine whenever we were

with pton he went to a lot of your games

and watched you and a lot of people have

watch he said she has like all of the

traits that Payton had like the

accountability the wanting of Excellence

all the time there's people that start

judging you for that though because of

how do you just do you think about any

of that you're super competitive I

assume that is what that's like why

Payton was the way he was that's what it

is for you as well yeah I don't really

like care about what other people say

like I feel like I'm just so fiery and

so passionate like and I feel like

that's why I'm so good too like if I

didn't have that I don't think I would

have the success that I've had um but

yeah that's how I've always been I think

I've been able to channel it a lot more

um throughout my career and use it more

positive rather than negatively and uh

but yeah I I want let you know you have

a show here that has your no matter what

like in the in the are great in the

competitive sphere though like hey yeah

she's far that means she cares when you

don't what am I supposed to do smile and

be happy I messed up imagine if you

don't though that's when it's over

exactly like I think that is that's why

we're such big fans of yours Tai is a

question for you yeah kitlin Pat

mentioned I also from Iowa I am a

University of Iowa grad so I'd be remiss

if I didn't say like i' incredibly proud

of all your accomplishments I love how

you have so much pride in the state and

also the university and putting on for

it whenever you can I try to do the same

on this show as much as I can um

obviously playing for Team USA and like

playing with all these amazing women

growing up and then you're obviously you

know Miss basketball like you were a top

recruit you were always incredible did

did you envision this type of success to

happen like could you have ever and then

like also this season where last year

you know everyone kind of flocks to the

women's game they watch you on you guys

run to the national championship and

everything's amazing but then this year

it's kind of one of those things where

you get to the top of the mountain and

everyone starts picking at you and and

they want to see you fail like yeah

could a could you have envisioned that

all this was going to happen and be like

did you recognize all that stuff this

year while you were kind of in the

moment I feel like I always like had

super big goals and dreams and

aspirations but at the same time like

this is a place like women's basketball

has really never been before so it's

like no like I I never really imagined

it on this magnitude but also like I've

always been a supporter of women's

basketball it's always been something

I've Loved ever since a young age like I

grew up watching the Minnesota links

like they had a dynasty and myamar was

my favorite player growing up but um now

coming to Indianapolis where like the

Indiana Fever were really good T

Catchings was is one of the best of all

time um and getting to you know have

that resource of her to lean on um

during these moments I think is

something that's you know really

important for me but I think like I

don't know with like the magnitude of

where everything's gone like I feel like

I've tried to stay like right in the

middle I think like one of the best

pieces of advice that somebody gave me

is like at the level you feel like all

the praise like that's the same level

you'll feel all the hate so I try to

stay right in the middle um but yeah I

mean it doesn't really bother me I think

it's just what comes with it and like

growing up my mom always said like

people want to see you fail like you

know that's just kind of how our world

is which is really sad um but at the

same time like I don't I don't like

think about that type of stuff like I

just go out there and and do me let me

try to Hype you up then as you're always

here let me try to you said the women's

game is a place it's never been before

uh the draft the other night had was the

highest rated draft by 3 107% yeah yeah

that that's not like 10% 15% 25 43%

increase is a monster like that is a

monster percentage of

37% is the jump there and I and we all

believe obviously you were a part of

that this entire college basketball

women's college basketball the last

couple years has been phenomenal watch

story-wise in a talent is next level

couple of the ogs you know there's been

some do you just view that as talk

is that what you think of this

do feel women's basketball carry women's

basketball and it level through the WNBA

yeah I think people are just competitive

like I don't think it's anything that's

out of the ordinary like I feel like

it's things rookies have faced their

entire careers the entire existence of

the WNBA um but I don't I don't know I

don't feel like any pressure to like

take it to a place it's never been

before like I think that's just going to

happen with the way you know we're on TV

more with the way people are you know

following from the college game to the

WNBA I think expansion in the WNBA will

certainly help um the more teams there

are I mean it's the most competitive

league in the world because there's not

many spots like there's there's 12 teams

and not even every team carries 12

players so I think that will certainly

help but um like I mean you got to bring

it every single night cuz it's the best

of the best like um and that's what I'm

excited for I think just you going out

there and like a lot of those people I

idolize growing up so it'll be it'll be

fun Anonymous GM so they would trade

their entire team for you that is a uh

hilarious thing and also they're to play

one on I'm going to play one on five

then they that's what they're saying

that's what they're saying and from what

we've seen probably be okay I mean there

is a shot season ticket holder of the

Indiana Fever Conor has a question for

yeah that's right and Pat's said

Anonymous GM I mean lucky enough you got

the greatest GM in the history of the W

in Indiana I love that lady so much she

crushed yesterday but um one of the

things we talked to Kelsey P about a

couple weeks ago was like her transition

to the WNBA was a little like tougher

for you like what are your personal

expectations going into the WNBA cuz I

mean from the outside in for you it's

always going to be like hey she better

win a title every single year like that

is going to be it for you sure I think

yeah definitely helping us you know get

back to the playoffs I think that's goal

number one and I think everybody in the

fever organization believe that that's

where we can be in year one for sure and

you know Aaliyah Boston was rookie of

the year last year is Great Piece I

think there's just so much young Talent

um on this roster and that's the biggest

thing is just buying into that enjoying

that and obviously like the crowds that

we're going to have is certainly going

to help us too like that type of energy

like you just feed off as a competitor

like at the University of Iowa like we

didn't really lose at home like we just

didn't do that because of the

environment we had like you didn't want

to let those people down but also like

people were intimidated to come there

and play us so I think the fans um will

be huge but yeah I mean there will

definitely be some learning curves and

some challenges but also like I mean I

think my passing translates I mean that

people always want to talk about like

logo of Threes the scoring whatever but

you know to be have the talent around me

that I'm going to have is like just feed

them the ball yeah it feels like making

insane court length passes you could

that's with that 22 yeah uh coach jersey

like you can play quarterback might need

this year need Joe Flo obviously he's a

guy he's backing up AR uh but mighte

need you in there your passing is

bananas and it does kind of get

overlooked because of the you know the

logo threes and everything like that and

one of your first things is you can't

wait to pass to somebody like Aaliyah

Boston so we talking we're we're talking

about some nasty assist coming for sure

have to got to feed her I mean she's she

has great hands and lucky enough she's

been my teammate before so I know how

first hand how good she is um but that's

going to make my job easier I think just

like the way you know people can score

the ball at this level and do what they

do um and you know I love to get out and

play fast so I know that won't change

much the shot the shot clock's even

lower at the pro level so oh I didn't

know that not that we used it much at IA

but you guys I coach BL even said

something about like we'll see if they

can keep up you know for four full

quarters Ton's got a question for yeah

Kay have you had a chance to breathe yet

I mean off of back to back back yeah I

know back toback title runs and just how

insane the last season was with the

scoring record and everything and then

with the WNBA you go straight from the

season into the draft or straight from

the college season into the draft and

now into the WNBA season and there

probably Olympics I assume in there as

well have have you had a chance to

breathe breathe like obviously your

entire life and now you're going to go

into the season have you reached out to

anybody for that's done that for advice

going into the WNBA like that yeah I

think uh the last month or so two months

has just been a whirlwind obviously you

know when you reach the sweet 16 you go

straight to the final four so like

you're gone for 2 weeks and then I went

home for like 2 days went to LA was in

New York City now I'm here in

Indianapolis finally going home after

today which will be nice but um I feel

like I've tried to do my best and I

think that's the biggest piece of advice

like subber like gave me is just like

take a breath like soak it in like you

only get drafted one time like you only

get these moments once so you need to

enjoy it like you can't go back and do

this ever again so um I've tried to

enjoy it I've tried to soak it in I

haven't slept much which was maybe a

good thing maybe a bad thing I don't

know we've been having fun and um

enjoying every single SE so um yeah I

think the the biggest thing is like how

quick of a turnaround it is it'll be a

big adjustment I think I'll be like

moving here in like a week so oh welcome

the city already find a place I'll be

like a weekly guest on here I guess if

you want me to

deal all right that was going to be an

off uh offsh show conversation you

brought it up that is binding that is

binding um no what as you get a chance

to go home finally and breathe we

appreciate you stopping here with you

Tyrese and Anthony Richardson kind of as

the three young faces of the city we're

sitting in a beautiful place we hope you

enjoy your time in Indie these people

are great they are going to hey they are

going to they are going to love you and

uh drivers yeah bad driving dver yeah

but I've heard Iowa not she gets it yeah

those small towns

on better yeah we're back on ESPN we

continued during the break at YouTube

and ESPN plus she just legally binded uh

agreed to show weekly which is great uh

we talked about the lack of free time

that she's had and uh Caitlyn I just

want to let you know like we've all been

incredibly lucky to kind of watch this

all take place can't wait to see what

you do at the W can't wait to see where

Women's Basketball goes and thank you

for getting somebody like me into the

sport because it is an awesome awesome

Sport and the future is only bright

especially in this Citys enjoy yourself

thanks guys no problem hey when so when

when I shoot I need to be thinking okay

where's going we're going forehead to

hoop what are we you got to go up you

can't go out you gotta go up okay okay

we're going up so like CU like there's

like 6 foot eight people in the WM we're

not worried about that cuz we're going

we're going up yeah you just back up and

shoot it from further back too okay how

far can you go you know like I know the

logo we see logo which is men's NBA 3

plus like an extra three or four feet

Steph Curry range is no problem for you

yeah no

problem dick you're the best we have two

balls not going to have you shoot no not

going to have you shoot but if I make

this if I make this we'll give um we'll

give Four Season Tickets away to the

Indiana Fever let's make

it well yeah I me yeah yeah Kay that's

what we're

doing jeez Kay it's like Oh I thought

you were going to the F far one you're

going to the close one close he's onest

stage 3 let okay

couldn't make it from up there yeah yeah

for the recorda that took him 25 times

you did see it yeah I saww yeah non Easy

Shot I know I know he's on Team USA

uhhuh finish the story oh no that was

close well no but it was the other ball

I thought we agreed on get it

there there it is yeah huh there we go

how about that that was genuine

excitement see the dad yeah my dad's

right over there hey I watch you during

games and like I cuz I have an

11-month-old daughter now and I'm like I

wonder what's going through because

you're breaking all these records and

he's locked in the whole family is

locked in the entire way and then there

was that moment at um at Iowa when you

broke the the women's record and there

was after game post game the video that

played I didn't know you I didn't know

your family I was watching that video

watching these people celebrate you I

was like crying at my house I'm like oh

my I couldn't even imagine what they've

been hey you guys done really good

obviously well then we were crying

laughing too when uh during the holy

cross game when shut

[Applause]

up incredible yeah it is beautiful it

feels like um feels like I would like to

emulate everything your family has done

to get you this point because you've

handled this with class while also being

an absolute monster we can't wait to

watch you we appreciate you sa travels

home okay thanks for having me on ladies

and gentlemen Indiana Fever star Kaylin

clar

appreciate you thanks guys hey thank you

thank you see you next week this is

awesome yeah you can play for him I

actually had like a paint paint painted

Manning jersey growing up I would wear

it all the time I didn't have youry who

all right

kayin I'll get you one I'll get you one

I'll get you one thank you see you yeah

I thought this was going to be like your

jersey no this one the Colts the Colts

somehow they didn't put in request this

is on the Colts not on us know that but

you can wear that and play on Sundays if

you want to any position thank you guys

see you guys take care fever yeah see

you next week see yeah see you next week

the same time next week hey what days

are we doing every every week whatever

you

want we got fig out Monday or Tuesday

proba that was binding let's make sure

we rip that forever yeah hey see you

soon see you guys safe

travels all right y boom what just

happened yeah I think so what scenario

hey had to make that shot yeah good work

he pure that was that one just too small

when you picked it up no so what I

thought was if I missed these we could

potentially oh yeah yeah so I didn't

want to shoot you know the w w ball plus

you've never shot one before so let's

stick with what you know B well that's

why that's why I kept theer yeah so if I

miss four here and embarrass myself at

least we'll have uh hey you know we have

they are cool balls two balls here but

that they are very cool they are

certainly sick I mean they are

there it is they designed

it oh I mean maybe you should back to

back maybe you should maybe you should

have

Sor this guy's on

fire designed those balls after uh

Semi-Pro I believe to what we were

referencing yesterday yeah joining us

now ladies and I mean what a what a

performance buet yeah 50% joining us now

that's a far shot I that was

awesome all right we'll give away I'm

giving away thank you we're giving away

uh Four Season Tickets to somebody M and

because that one goes in we'll give uh

22 people

$500 all you got to do is retweet this

post say something nice to somebody and

uh put the easiest way to pay you

digitally uh that's where our friends on

X right there can't that that's good

time yeah four season tickets on the

line 22 $500 winners all you had to do

is retweet that post on X we can't take

it and say something nice to somebody

you know the world has too much negative

we don't need that