Kobe Bryant needs no introduction and now, no longer does Caitlin Clark. The Indiana Fever Guard has not only shattered multiple records in her rookie year but also set new ones. The 6-foot youngster’s unprecedented rise has made her the face of the WNBA and the secret to her success goes back to the most basic but ignored aspect of the game. Something that the late Kobe Bryant exploited to become an all-time great.

The 5-time NBA champion “devoured film” from a very young age. As that passion shifted to studying the game films of himself and his opponents, he figured out the “Why” of what was missing in the games and the best alternatives and counters. “Film Study is all about detail… I went from watching what happened to what could have and should have happened,” he had said. Caitlin Clark, who saw Bryant as an idol, imbibed the same quality, as 2008 NBA champion Kendrick Perkins explained to ESPN Today.

“Right now, she’s very, very comfortable,” the former Celtics star said. “Kudos to her because that means not only has she been putting in the work behind the scenes but that means she’s been a student of the game and in the film room,” he added, showing the parallel with Bryant.

Though comparing a rookie to an 18-time NBA All-Star might sound ridiculous to some, Caitlin Clark is here to prove herself. Moreover, this isn’t the first time that Clark’s prep mentality has been compared with the Lakers legend.

Kobe Bryant & Caitlin Clark’s common link approves of the Indiana Fever rookie’s “Mamba mentality”

In March this year, Caitlin Clark led the Iowa Hawkeyes to their 3rd consecutive Big Ten tournament championship. In doing so, she also became the first player since 1995 to win the MVP award thrice consecutively. After the 94-89 OT win against Nebraska, she recreated Kobe Bryant’s iconic photo with the Larry O’Brien championship trophy in a shower stall after the 2001 NBA finals.

Freelance photographer Bri Lewerke, who captured Bryant’s photos, requested Clark to recreate it. She agreed, and the rest is history. Speaking with The Times about the comparison between the two athletes, Lewerke said, “I think Caitlin absolutely has the Mamba Mentality and I think if Kobe was still here, he would be absolutely elated to see Caitlin Clark play and support her. It’s just heartbreaking that we never got to see that happen.”

Though Clark will never get to meet her idol, the best she can do is to keep his spirit alive through her performances, and so adorning his Nike-Kobe shoes every now and then. She has already led the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016. If they win their last regular season game against the Washington Mystics, it’ll be their best result since 2012.

“Everybody is definitely excited for the playoffs,” Clark said after Indiana’s 110-109 win over the Dallas Wings on Sunday. “We’re not just happy to be there. We really feel like we can compete with every single team.” Just one more to go for the team.