Everyone knows the stardom and accolades Caitlin Clark achieved while she was a member of the Iowa Women's Basketball team.
Clark is considered as one of the best college basketball players of all-time, and shattered numerous Iowa program and NCAA records.
During her freshman season (2020-2021), she led the NCAA in scoring (26.6 points per game) and shared Freshman of the Year honors with UConn freshman Paige Bueckers. She also became the first freshman to receive the Dawn Staley Award.
Clark also set the single-season Iowa freshman record for points (799) and assists (214).
During her sophomore season (2021-2022), she once again led the NCAA in scoring (27.0 points per game) and triple-doubles. She also became the first women's basketball player to have consecutive triple-doubles.
Clark also became the fasted player ever to eclipse 1,000 career points.
She continued to shatter records during her junior year, including becoming the first three-time winner of the Dawn Staley Award, and set Big Ten single-season records for points (1,055), assists (327), made free throws (239), and made three-point field goals (140).
Clark was also named the AP Player of the Year and became the first unanimous Big Ten Player of the Year.
She also broke the men's and women's scoring records for points in the NCAA Tournament.
In her final year in Iowa City, she became the NCAA all-time leader in points scored (3,951), the career points leader in the Big Ten and NCAA Tournament, the Big Ten's all-time leader in career points and made three-pointers.
While Clark succeeded on the court, the fans and media were unaware of what went on behind the scenes. Former Head Coach Lisa Bluder alluded to some of the challenges she faced coaching Clark and how she overcame them to help her superstar succeed.
During Caitlin Clark's time at Iowa, her coach, Lisa Bluder, found parallels between the experiences of her superstar and another generational talent: Michael Jordan.
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) July 10, 2025
Here's what they took from Phil Jackson's teachings to propel Clark to another level ⤵️https://t.co/hvOLjqUmst pic.twitter.com/XgOKOdeTD0
Early in Clark's career, Bluder knew she was special. While Clark was always coachable, she had aspects of her game and personality that mirrored the great Michael Jordan.
Bluder noticed that she was very reserved and did not trust her teammates, a trait similar to MJ's distrust of his teammates. Bluder used the teachings of Phil Jackson in his book "Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior to help Clark overcome her distrust of her teammates.
In the Athletic article, Bluder mentioned that Clark was always the center of attention since her time at Dowling Catholic High School, when she was named the AP Gatorade Player of the Year.
Bluder sat down with Clark and highlighted passages of Jackson's book that talked about MJ putting pressure on himself and teammates and how he handled criticism by the media.
Bluder wanted Clark to not only see how MJ dealt with it, but learn from his similar experience. Bluder wanted Clark to learn that she could not do everything by herself.
Bluder also used Jackson's teachings to help Clark and her teammates deal with her stardom. She was a very popular player when she first joined the Hawkeyes, but during and after her junior season, it skyrocketed.
Bluder's concept of "circle time," where players and coaches share and connect, took on a more expanded meaning during the Clark era of Iowa Women's Basketball. As Clark opened up and became more team-focused, the team grew closer on and off the court.
Bluder used the lessons of Phil Jackson and Michael Jordan to help her superstar in ways that no one else could, and Clark took those teachings and became the best version of herself.