“She was literally my idol growing up.” Last year, Caitlin Clark acknowledged the role of soccer legend Mia Hamm in her life. Notably, the No. 22 had gotten a signed jersey from basketball analyst Debbie Antonelli who attends Hamm’s annual golf tournament. And when the point guard posted the reaction for the same online, she was invited to play golf with the legend herself. However, the then-Iowa star did not respond to the invitation and chose to ignore it publicly which came as a surprise to many of her fans, considering Hamm was her idol.

“Caitlin, would you come to the Mia Hamm Foundation golf tournament this year?,” Hamm asked Clark on camera as per a video released by Antonelli on Friday. Trying to persuade Clark to join her, Hamm further added “Come on! I hear you’re an amazing golfer. We obviously know how great of a basketball player you are. Hall of Famer, already, but we would love to have you and you know we have Debbie here who is an All-Star.”

When Antonelli asked Hamm if they would play ball together someday if Clark attended the event, the soccer star agreed immediately. However, Clark chose to break her heart by not making it to the tournament.

Furthermore, Hamm also retweeted the video of Clark receiving the signed jersey while commenting “We would love to have you join us @CaitlinClark22 . Best to you this season.” The Mia Hamm Golf Tourney was developed by Octagon and the LPGA in 2006 and has since then been a main attraction for golfers. Last year, she also held a Golf Classic at the Finley Golf Course in Chapel Hill, N.C. However, Clark could not make it, which was a surprise for many.

Though Clark does not have an official handicap, she can shoot in the “low-80s.” According to Golf Digest, the 22-year-old regards chipping as the best part of her game while her favorite club is the three hybrid. Drawing parallels between golf and basketball, the Iowa-alum had opined during an interview last year that “one bad shot on the golf course or on the basketball court, you gotta move on to the next.” Hence, it is not a surprise that she wants to play golf in the off-season.

Caitlin Clark shares her love for golf

“I used to run around golf course,” Clark divulged while participating in the PGA Tour’s John Deere Classic Pro-Am in July last year. She played the game alongside the Iowa native Zach Johnson and took advantage of every opportunity to sign autographs. Recently, she also spilled the beans, revealing that her dad’s influence got her into the sport. Plus she also shared a vulnerable moment from her childhood where she wanted a pair of golf clubs.

“I would beg my dad, like whenever I had a rare weekend I didn’t have, like a soccer tournament or softball or basketball, I would beg my dad to take me golfing,” Clark enumerated. So naturally when the Fever lost to the Sun and ousted from the playoffs, Clark revealed that she would be playing golf in the off-season. “I don’t know what I’m going to do the next day – maybe play some golf. That’s what I’m going to do – become a professional golfer,” Clark enunciated.

However, she does have an old promise from back in May where she accepted to play a three-way with Hamm and Antonelli. Then, she had mentioned, “I need to work on my game before that. I haven’t touched a club in about like six months. So, it could be scary. I need to get back on my grind. But now that I’m playing during the summer, it’s hard to get out on the course. But it’s okay. We’ll find some time to get ready.”

Although it has been four months more since the deal was made, looks like she will be making complete utilization of the golf clubs she has amassed over the years. However, as of now, Clark would rethink her decision to join her childhood idol Hamm. Hopefully, she will be soon invited once again to show her golf skills, now that the WNBA season is over.

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.