Caitlin Clark’s Parents, Brent and Anne, Pushed for a Non-Iowa School

Getty Caitlin Clark's parents, Anne and Brent, are the WNBA star's biggest fans.

Caitlin Clark’s parents, Anne and Brent, are regulars at the star’s basketball games, which is sure to also be the case in the WNBA. Caitlin’s mom and dad have become recognizable during their daughter’s ascent into stardom, even joining the star in commercials.

In addition to her parents, Caitlin’s siblings, Blake and Colin, have been staples as the star continues to shine. Caitlin’s family is also featured as part of ESPN’s new docu-series “Full Court Press” giving fans a glimpse at the guard’s final season at Iowa.

The family has become synonymous with the Iowa Hawkeyes, but it almost turned out differently. Caitlin admitted that her family was big-time Notre Dame fans growing up.

There was pressure on the star to join the Fighting Irish, and the guard initially committed to Notre Dame. Caitlin soon flipped to Iowa after she did not feel quite right about leaving her home state.

“My family wanted me to go to Notre Dame,” Caitlin told ESPN’s Wright Thompson for his March 20, 2024 feature titled, “Caitlin Clark and Iowa find peace in the process.” “At the end of the day they were like, you make the decision for yourself. But it’s NOTRE DAME! ‘Rudy’ was one of my favorite movies. How could you not pick Notre Dame?”

Caitlin Clark’s Parents Were Hoping the Guard Would Play at Notre Dame

Eventually, Caitlin called former Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw to reveal that she planned to go to Iowa. The hard part for Caitlin was telling her mother Anne that she would not be wearing a Notre Dame jersey. While it was a challenging conversation, Caitlin’s family eventually understood why she was having second thoughts about Notre Dame.

“Caitlin wanted to come to Iowa but thought her mom didn’t want her to turn down Notre Dame,” Thompson wrote of Caitlin’s recruitment flip. “The AAU coach called [former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder] and asked if Caitlin were to change her mind, would there be a spot for her. Three or so days later Caitlin again faced two phone calls. The first was terrifying. She needed to tell McGraw she had changed her mind.

“… Her parents both call the family meeting that followed ’emotional’ and say they realized, truly in that moment, that their daughter had a vision for herself more ambitious and nuanced than any they could conjure. She seemed vulnerable and brave, and they deferred to her judgment.”

Caitlin Clark’s Family Have Just a Short Drive From Iowa to Indiana for WNBA Games

The good news for the family is that the Indiana Fever play in Indianapolis, which is not too far from Iowa. Even before she officially became the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, Caitlin admitted to doing the math for how long it would take her family to get to Indy. The WNBA’s television deal will also allow her parents to watch remotely.

“But [WNBA TV deal] definitely makes it easy for my parents to watch games,” Caitlin explained during an April 14 interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe. “They don’t have to travel to Indianapolis like every single time. So, that’ll be nice.

“… Five hours from Iowa City, about seven from Des Moines. So, works out pretty well.”