Caitlin Clark was only in sixth grade when the Iowa’s then-associate head coach Jan Jensen first heard about her. It did not take Jansen long to watch her game, and she spotted Clark’s exceptional talent. Then when Clark was looking for a college, Jansen played a major role in recruiting her with the Hawkeyes. Since then, the relationship has come a long way and now, when Clark is in her prime in the WNBA, Jansen couldn’t help but praise the 22-year-old.

Jansen took to the social media networking site X on Friday after Clark stunned all with her astounding performance against the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA’s return game. And fans were nothing but thrilled to see the warm bond the duo shared after Jansen asked a hilarious question sending fans into nostalgia.

“Hawk Fans…how much fun was it to “CC” her back AND doing typical “Caitlin things”?😜 Way to go @CaitlinClark22 Keep it rollin’!👊🏼,” Jansen stated on X while resharing Clark’s famous victory pose.

Clark could be seen with her back against the audience after scoring an exceptional 29 points with 10 rebounds and 5 rebounds. This marked Clark’s dominance in the W and sure, this has come in handy for Jansen who had spotted her first years ago. As per the Seattle Times, Jansen first spotted Clark when she was in sixth grade. As per the publication, the now-Iowa head coach remembered that “It didn’t take but a second, maybe a minute” to spot her talent. Clark’s brilliant three-pointers coupled with her pinpoint passing sent waves of infectious energy to her spectators.

Then Jansen worked hard while recruiting Clark and helped her develop into the player she is today. Jansen too, in the meantime, got her fair share of due. Once the Hawkeyes’ head coach Lisa Bluder retired after the 2023-24 NCAA season, Jansen was promoted to the role of the head coach. And now, when she tweets about Clark, all fans can see is a coach missing a player not just for her game but also for the bond the duo shared through various years. Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Jansen has applauded Clark.

Jan Jansen compares Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan

Jansen also came forward to praise Clark for her competitive spirit in an interview with Sirius XM NBA radio. The Kimballton-born remarked that she understood Clark once she became aware of her desire to win. She opined that Clark losing patience or any of her other idiosyncratic qualities weren’t linked to her greatness, but rather to the fact that she always wanted to win.

Jansen further went ahead to compare Clark to Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and sure, when we see Clark’s impact on the sport, it is not far away when she will be remembered as one of the finest players of her generation. “Does that not sound like Kobe or Michael? I mean, the great ones are like that,” Jansen had enunciated.

So when Jansen tweeted on Friday, fans were delighted to reminisce about the role she played in building Clark. And surely, Clark would pay her back by sharing anecdotes from the W.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.