Lisa Bluder Shares Details of Caitlin Clark’s Rare Work Ethic originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Caitlin Clark is one of the most inspiring storylines in the world of basketball in the last two decades or so. The Indiana Fever guard was a big deal in college. She played for the Iowa Hawkeyes and helped them contend in women’s college basketball.
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Clark recalled she went from playing in front of friends and family at Carver-Hawkeye Arena during her freshman year to selling out arenas in the following seasons.
Clark led Iowa to two Big Ten championships, won multiple awards and left college as the all-time scoring leader in Division I basketball. She, alongside coach Lisa Bluder, Kate Martin and Gabbie Marshall, put her program on the map.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22).Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Speaking with Elise Devlin of The Athletic, Bluder recalled how she first started working to develop Clark. She noted that the guard was always willing to learn and never shied away from accountability. The coach highlighted that it was a long process, but the player was willing to go through it to become what she is today.
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“Caitlin wanted to be her best,” Bluder said. “She wanted to be coached, as well as any of the really good players that I’ve been around. Every one of them, they weren’t know-it-alls. They knew they could get better and continued to get better.
“Are they willing to put in the work required to be great? Because there are a lot of people who want to be great without really working hard at it, especially in today’s society. Caitlin Clark didn’t start out by shooting logo threes. She started out by shooting layups.
“And people have to remember that. It’s a process. And so I want that work ethic, but I also want a positive attitude in my players. I think having that person in your huddle who’s always negative, it just wears on people. And so having a positive attitude was really important to me.”
All that hard work paid off. Clark is now one of the most iconic and influential college players of all time, a former No. 1 overall pick and, according to many, the future face of the league.
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She was about to join Notre Dame until her AAU coach called Bluder and asked if she still had a spot for “CC.” Bluder welcomed her with open arms, and the rest is history.
Related: ESPN Makes Clear Pick Between Caitlin Clark’s Indiana Fever, Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.