By Brandon Andino, Guest Writer
Freshman Caitylnn Clark has a name a lot of people recognize. She shares it with one
of the most popular players in the WNBA.
And yes, Newman’s Caitlynn also plays basketball: She’s a freshman guard for the Jets.
The two basketball players – the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark and Newman’s Caitlynn Clark – were born just three years apart, so the two sharing a name and a sport is just a coincidence.
But it’s a coincidence that has hounded Newman’s Caitlynn since she started playing high school basketball in El Paso and became a team star known for her three-point shot and defensive game.
When she and her team would play at away games, the opposing team’s student section would often taunt her.
“My senior year, they made signs saying I was the Walmart version of Caitlin Clark,” she said.
Another strange coincidence: The two Clarks have actually interacted.
One day, Caitlynn said, she decided to message the star player via Instagram and ask for career advice.
One week later, she heard back.
“She was giving me advice on how to buy into your role and become the best player you can be,” Caitlynn said.
Basketball has been part of Newman Caitlynn’s life for as long as
she can remember.
"I started playing with my brothers, and that's how I got into it," Clark said.
Her name wasn’t an issue when she was younger. But the WNBA Caitlin became famous for her performance at the 2023 NCAA Tournament, which happened while Newman’s Caitlynn was still in high school.
Suddenly, the topic was being brought up all the time, even in casual conversations.
The other Caitlin kept getting more famous, especially after she joined the WNBA in 2024. After that, people started bringing the name thing up to Newman’s Caitlynn more and more.
"People mention it like four times a day, and it doesn't help that I play basketball as well,"
she said.
She admits that it has begun to wear on her.
"I'm tired of it,” she said. “I hate it.”
Newman’s women’s basketball team took the court for the first time this season on Wednesday in a demonstration game against Wichita State University. Clark wasn’t sure what to expect in her first game as a Jet, but she’s committed to focusing on the game, she said.
She does respect the WNBA star, she said.
"I like her,” Newman’s Caitlynn said. “I think she's been hated on for so long, but now she just stays in her lane.”
Newman head women’s basketball coach Amy Briggs said that she’s not sure how college fans will react to hearing that the Jets are bringing Caitlynn Clark with them to play. She is sure that there will be cheers if Newman’s Caitlynn takes or makes a three pointer, which is one of WNBA Caitlin Clark’s signature shots, too.
Really, Briggs said, a big reaction would serve as a good indication that people are actually paying more attention to women’s basketball.
“It can be tough when people joke about her name,” Briggs said. “The first thing most people say after she introduces herself is, ‘Oh, like the basketball player.’”
Newman’s Caitlynn said she doesn’t blame her parents for the aggravation she feels every time her name is brought up. After all, they couldn’t have known that another family in another state was raising a Caitlin Clark basketball player, too.
Also, Caitlynn said, she’s not sure she likes the other name her mom and dad had picked out for her.
"They said it was either that or Hillary.”
Contributing: Vantage staff
PHOTO: Anna Corbett-Neal, Co-Editor-In-Chief
