“My relationship with my teammates is my legacy.” The golden rookie of the Indiana Fever ended her Iowa journey with these heart-touching words. Tonight, as Caitlin Clark welcomed her old ‘friend’ Bailey Lux to the T-Mobile Arena through the Make a Wish Foundation, she could not help but emphasize how much health and friendships matter to her. In fact, more than the sport of basketball itself. Something that a hyped first-overall pick would understand after carrying a heavy crown herself.

In her pregame presser, Caitlin Clark expressed how she keeps herself in a positive light. Talking about Lux, she said, “Yeah, I think those types of interactions puts life into perspective.” She further added, “Sometimes basketball can feel like the end of the world to you and really it’s obviously not. It’s just a game. It’s just my job.”

Bailey Lux befriended Caitlin Clark back in 2022 as she was going through her cancer treatment at the University of Iowa Hospital. Since then, the two have shared numerous memorable moments. The Fever rookie also mentioned how the young girl is fighting a second battle with cancer and has already lost her mother. Now as she had her dream come true through Make-a-Wish foundation, Caitlin Clark and the team at Fever ensured to bring a vibrant smile to the 14-year-old’s face. “She hasn’t stopped smiling,” her dad admitted as the Fever signed a WNBA basketball and posed with her on the court.

Clark expressed her gratitude for the 14-year-old spending the wish on meeting her and the crew at Fever. ‘It speaks of the impact,’ of the game she exclaims. And as much a major part of her life the sport has been, as she mentioned, she has grown to keep it at bay.

Caitlin Clark and her rough start to the WNBA career

Through college tournaments and the draft, the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer did not get any time to breathe. In fact, even as the 2024 WNBA kicked off, the Fever got the worst schedule that any team could. With multiple back-to-back games, a young team with no practice going against the toughest teams in the league only made everything more difficult.

Then, Caitlin Clark spoke up about her mental state. However, being the hooper who many would claim has the right words to say, she simply said, “It is what it is.” During that phase, the Fever played 11 teams in a mere 20 days. This set back the dominance of the golden rookie. But after the first few weeks, Indiana is on a much better schedule. They are also getting appropriate time to practice and rest.

It is heartwarming to see how all the Hawkeyes put relationships before everything. Tonight was another example as Kate Martin also reunited with Caitlin Clark. Moreover, the former Iowa head coach Lisa Bluder and the current coach Jan Jensen too attended the game.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.