Why Caitlin Clark Refused to Sign Fan’s Shirt on Saturday originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Since her arrival on the women’s basketball scene, going back to her time at Iowa, even before she was the No. 1 pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA draft in 2024, Caitlin Clark understood the value of connecting with fans. She struggled to get her head around her job as a role model, but she was diligent about seeing to that duty.
Advertisement
As she said early last year, “It’s hard for myself to wrap my head around (being a role model). It’s crazy the way people scream my name and really support us. I try to make time for as many of them as I can. That’s something that never gets old.”
Clark has always seen bringing people together, on and off the floor, as part of her role.
“This isn’t an individual sport,” she said. “I have four other people on the court with me at the same time, I have 10 other girls on the bench. … I don’t have to score a million points every single night and I think I find peace in that. When I’m having fun and just being Caitlin, that’s when things are really successful.”
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) applauds her teammates during the first half of a WNBA game against the Chicago Sky at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
But while Clark remains known for being big-hearted, she does have some boundaries. She has been out for the past two weeks because of a quad injury–the first missed time because of injury in her career–but she has still been showing up at Fever games as she rehabs.
Advertisement
She was on hand at the United Center on Saturday night for the Fever’s victory over the Chicago Sky, and spent considerable time before the game signing autographs and taking photos with fans who had come to watch her play.
But she drew the line on one thing: She was not about to autograph Sky materials. That was shown in a video on X from Saturday in which Clark signed a string of autographs only to smile and pass on signing what appeared to be a Chicago Sky-colored shirt.
A post from the account, “The Indiana Fever,” noted, “Caitlin Clark refused to sign the Chicago Sky merch.” The fan who had tried to get her to do so, it should be pointed out, laughed it off.
Advertisement
Clark is hopeful of returning to the court this week, with the Fever’s next game coming Tuesday in Atlanta.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
