The best players in any sport learn and take lessons from other great players. That's definitely the case for former Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark.
Now with the Indiana Fever, the former Hawkeye has lit up the WNBA when healthy. She won the Rookie of the Year in 2024 and has made the All-Star game in both of her professional seasons. Even with all of those accolades under her belt, Clark knows that the key to ultimate success is to never settle and always keep improving.
And she's looking to the NBA for help with that.
A few weeks ago, Clark was a guest on the NBC Sports pregame show "Sunday Night Basketball." She broke down the upcoming game and answered questions about her own game as well. When asked which NBA superstar she models her game after, Clark gave an interesting and eye-opening answer: Luka Doncic.
The current Los Angeles Lakers superstar is averaging 32.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 8.6 assists per game this season, firmly in the hunt for the NBA's MVP award. At just 26-years-old, he's also a young star in his league, and only getting better. Clark revealed that the aspect of his game that she wants to emulate the most is his ability to take contact and play through it.
“I think that’s something I can certainly learn from,” Clark said. “I always kind of want to run away from the defense, rather than absorbing the contact and taking up the space that they give me.”
Entering her third WNBA season in 2026, Clark will aim to continue elevating her game and to lead the Fever to postseason success, just as Doncic has in his career. A healthy Clark incorporating aspects of Doncic's offensive game to her own already stellar play is a scary thought for the rest of the league. And it could lead to a magical season in Indianapolis.
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This article originally appeared on Hawkeyes Wire: Caitlin Clark reveals NBA superstar she models game after