Young fans team up to score bucket on Caitlin Clark in pickup game at charity event

Caitlin Clark was present alongside Indiana Pacers forward Isaiah Jackson representing Gainbridge Sports during a charity event in Indianapolis on Wednesday.

A hoop, which featured a Pacers logo and an Indiana Fever logo on either side of the rim, was set up in a parking lot at the event so that young fans could have some fun alongside two of their city’s biggest stars.

Of course, being the competitor she is, Clark pulled no punches having blocked the child she was playing 1 on 1 with five times in a row before the kid’s sister came in from behind to distract Clark for long enough to bank in a shot from the right side.

“Your sister distracted me!” 😂

a couple young fans challenged Caitlin Clark to a game of 1v1 at @GainbridgeSport's 1001 Hours of Impact project. pic.twitter.com/xUSLFH1rKQ

— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) June 12, 2024

“Your sister distracted me!” Clark said. Likely story. However, she did get a bucket or two on the kid in another video posted to the Gainbridge Sports social media page.

Clark did more than just play pickup basketball with kids during the event. She also gave out signed jerseys to kids during the event, which was run by Group 1001 and Habitat for Humanity.

While Clark was able to spend time with those around her new community on Wednesday, it’s back to the grind on Thursday as the Indiana Fever is set to do battle with the Atlanta Dream beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

After averaging 31.6 points, 8.9 assists and 7.4 rebounds per game in her final season with the Iowa Hawkeyes over the last several months, Clark’s swift transition to the WNBA is seeing her currently average 16.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.9 rebounds per game as a rookie. She currently leads her team in scoring and assists.

Despite the strong start to her rookie career, Clark recently made headlines for being left off the Women’s National Team roster for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Clark said that there was “no disappointment,” in having not made the team and will be “rooting them on to win gold.”

However, it’s worth noting that Clark was invited to participate in USA Basketball’s training camp in April, which was essentially used as a tryout for the team as the camp was led by Women’s National Team head coach Cheryl Reeve.

However, the camp and the Final Four overlapped and Clark chose not to miss her final few games at Iowa as she chased a national title. Whether that decision played into the final decision to leave her off the roster is up for debate, but the snub has still left some fans scratching their heads.