all righty Our Guest today is a six-foot Guard from the University of Iowa the NCAA alltime division one scoring leader the first pick of the WNBA draft WNBA assist leader Allstar and 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year stop everything you're doing because Caitlyn Clark just set the tone for 2025 in the most epic way possible the basketball Superstar the queen of Clutch and face of the sport kicked off the year as the first guest of the year on the new heights podcast yes Travis and Jason Kelce brought in the biggest star in sports today and
Caitlyn did not hold back from jawdropping career Revelations to her mindset after this Unforgettable season this interview is packed with moments that will leave you speechless she's the most requested guest in the history of our show uh and The Time Magazine athlete of the Year miss Kaitlyn Clark please welcome everyone but wait what's Caitlyn's take on the pressure of being a sports icon what's next for her skyrocketing career and why is everyone buzzing about that one comment she made about the NBA sit tight because we're breaking it all down right here right now are you
ready let's go I appreciate it I'm excited I don't get excited about many things but this this was at the top of my list so we made it the Kelsey Brothers wasted no time setting the stage kicking off the show with their signature humor Jason and Travis Dove right into Caitlyn's staggering list of achievements from dominating the court as the most electrifying player in college basketball to becoming a household name and let's face it when two NFL Superstars are cracking jokes about how your resume makes theirs look short you know you're in a league of
your own it's the perfect Icebreaker that sets the tone for an interview packed with substance and surprises how many accolades did we leave off how many accolades do you have right now at this point Kaitlin I think you might have made some up I don't know yeah I don't think so I'm pretty sure I'm not I feel like you're kind of like Wayne Gretzky for basketball right now I mean the amount if you go to the Wikipedia page and you look at like the list of like awards and achievements it's like endless so it is
yeah we could we had to limit it to this list just to get the show started I appreciate it and guess what Jason was not exaggerating there she achieved at least 40 records in honors during her senior season at Iowa and broke a staggering 62 records during her freshman WNBA season this doesn't even include all her accolades during her first 3 years of college the entire list is so long Wikipedia decided to create a separate page for Caitlyn's records and achievements is there any accomplishment I guess of all these accolades that has meant the most
to you oh gosh that's a good question well I'd give you the answer my mom would say is probably academic All-American she was proud of me for being a good student in college so that's that answer nobody that answer from Mom what I'm talking about I did all right in school so hung in there but but other than that I mean they're all cool but you don't really care it kind of just comes with it comes with having fun and Caitlyn then shifts gears bringing a heartfelt moment to the conversation she shares how her mom
is over the moon about her being named an academic allamerican a title that to her family means just as much as her dominance on the court Caitlyn explains that all these accolades are just byproducts of putting in the work and genuinely enjoying the game breaking records that was never her aim but then comes the gold Caitlyn opens up about what she thinks is her coolest achievement so far the time athlete of the year was cool too just because you see the list of like all the athletes that they've had prior to me and a lot
of those people I idolized growing up and LeBron's been the only other basketball player so and it's cool as a woman like they haven't had many females on the cover too so for women's sports it's kind of special but you know just kind of comes with playing the game and having fun as you guys know ever humble Caitlyn gracefully brushes aside the spotlight on her time athlete of the Year honor for her it's not just a personal Accolade it's a win for women's sports as a whole she emphasizes how this recognition shines a light on
the progress being made across the board from packed Arenas to skyrocketing viewership Caitlyn's perspective is clear it's bigger than her and that humility is exactly why she continues to be such a beloved figure on and off the court that's how how long have you been a part of the Kingdom I'm sorry Jason apologize to me I'm honorary member I'm a Midwest kid so there there's this picture that's been circulating a couple from a couple years ago when I was on Payton Eli's Monday night show um where I'm in a full Chief's outfit I had family
in Kansas City and I grew up in De Mo Iowa which is only three hours from Kansas City so oh yeah that's just the the closest NFL team so my dad was a big Chiefs fan growing up the conversation takes a fun turn as Caitlyn's fandom for the camp Kanas City Chiefs comes into play she lights up talking about her admiration for the team and how she's been following their incredible run since she was a kid and of course with Travis Kelce right there the banter practically writes itself people think I'm like a bandwagon Chiefs
fan I'm like no I was there before before Patrick and Travis like we were some I love it we were rid or D so we've been big fans and now obviously all the success you guys have had has made it a lot of fun for us from her fondest game memories to the Chiefs Relentless drive it's clear Caitlyn isn't just a basketball phenom she's a DieHard sports fan through and through who was your uh childhood like my brother loved Tony Gonzalez like that was G what a guy the chief we would go to like one
game a year growing up with my cousins down in Kansas City and we still try to go we went to the Christmas Day game last year I think the year before you might have played on Christmas Eve maybe we went to that we were sitting outside for that one my my toes were like about to fall off my fingers about to fall off I don't get how you guys play in that type of weather but it's fun and like obviously we got eaters on the sideline they let us arrowhead's not too bad and then comes
her big Chiefs fan request to Travis I got some time so hopefully I can make it to a Chiefs game here soon maybe a playoff game or something so I'll tell you what we punched our tickets so we're definitely we're going to at least have I would assume we at least got one at Arrowhead but you know uh you're uh you're invited to them all so all right appreciate you guys thank you so much and she's right here's Caitlyn talking about her Chief's fandom as a child no it was always a big deal my dad
always had them on whether we were in the basement whether we were upstairs a lot of times my family would be cooking my mom is like the best chef of all time so she would oftentimes make really good food while we were watching but that's what I really looked forward to most on Sundays you know there wasn't obviously college sports but you know we would be watching the Chiefs and I would be upset if they lost and I still am like every Sunday that's what you know usually the brightest part of my day is turning
on the TV and watching the Chiefs Caitlyn dives into her early basketball Journey recounting how the game has been a constant in her life since day one she shares stories about playing against boys her days in Middle School the moments she began to stand out and then drops a jaw-dropping revelation she received her first college recruiting letter in seventh grade yes while most kids were worried about Middle School drama Caitlyn was already on the radar of major programs let's hear her talk about that incredible moment and how it shaped her path forward we heard you
got your first recruiting letter in seventh grade yeah is this true yeah so at the time like that's insane insane were you playing with high schoolers at this point yeah it's honestly sad like where College like recruitment has kind of gone it's just insane but also I got you I feel very fortunate like my parents were just like they told my older brother like go get the mail like we don't want your sister to see that they like wanted me to be in seventh grade and like enjoy middle school and like hang out with your
friends like you shouldn't be woring about going to college I love that so much Caitlyn then talks about how her parents ensured she got to enjoy her high school years and surrounded her with great influences that helped her shape who she is today yeah so I didn't really take any visits until like after my freshman year of college and then I didn't decide until my senior year so I was never in a rush and my parents did a really good job of like make sure you know I have a good circle around me like it
wasn't always about college recruitment I wasn't like posting my offers like also that wasn't really a thing when I was has grown up so the trio then joke around how college recruitment has become a social media frenzy and reminisce about the good old days she's 22 and she's already talking about how times have changed she's clearly mature Way Beyond her years it is now I mean it was it had to be close to when you were growing up I mean yeah it was close like people were starting to do it like post like oh I
got an offer from here I got an offer from here and especially in basketball now it's all you see on social media that's like only people talk about it's crazy but obviously times have changed too but oh times have changed yeah it's seventh grade was wild and I was playing up like two years so I was playing with high schoolers um but yeah I didn't really like think anything of it like I was just going out there and hooping and having fun and it's kind of just what came with it Caitlyn reflects on her rookie
season a delicate Balancing Act between blending in with her team and standing out as a player destined for greatness she explains how she navigated the challenges of stepping into a competitive environment while staying true to her style of play it's a fascinating look at the mindset of an athlete who knows when to lead when to listen and how to elevate the entire Team without overshadowing the collective effort and like you come in as a rookie and like you said like you're trying to figure out a new environment new teammates like you don't want to say
too much you don't want to say too little and it's just so hard but like in my scenario and obviously you guys too like you're already highly thought of like people are turning to you to like be something or be someone so it's hard like you're trying to find your get your feet wet but also not do too much and I think that's kind of what I struggled in early on is like I don't know what to say I don't know how to say it I don't know how they're going to react Caitlyn takes a
moment to shine the spotlight on her veterans and teammates giving them full credit for helping her transition smoothly into the game at the next level she speaks with gratitude about how their guidance encouragement and shared experiences helped her find her footing for Caitlyn it's clear that while her Talent is undeniable it's the support of those around her that has truly made the the journey so rewarding for not knowing you nailed it well but also like I had a lot of really good vets around me too so I feel very grateful for that and we've had
a fairly young team too so like people had been through it fairly recently so they knew how I felt but like I feel like that definitely is a huge Challenge and that goes for whatever professional sport like you're trying to learn but also people are looking at you like you got to perform and like be what they drafted you to be remember this scene with Aaliyah Boston during her first game against the connetic son and I love Aaliyah Boston pouring into this young rookie it's supposed to be hard this is an adjustment period and Aaliyah
making sure that her rookie knows we have your back or how about when Erica wheeler embraced Caitlyn from day one for me I just wanted to get ahead of it because I know this transition is tough just being undrafted and being a rookie it's very unlikely that a vet you know just take you in when you got the same position these are the kind of Veteran leadership that helped Caitlyn grow during her first year as a pro the trio then talked about Caitlyn's welcome to the WNBA moment my eardrum popped and like ruptured and I
knew it I knew it right away cuz I've done it before and I was just like it hurts so bad I don't know if you guys have ever done that but I've done it how did you do it before can I guess can I guess I was too oh yeah guess it was very Midwestern you did it in water you did it in water something with water I got I got La why did you just get so excited what are you that's how I did mine I went off the Diamond Board try to do as
many flips could and smack my side of my head in the high school swimming pool hearing the chemistry of these three is golden it's also amazing to see how Caitlyn allows the two to share stories about themselves and making sure the conversation goes both ways Jason was a male swim Cadet so he had to this wasn't swim Cadet don't put me on blast like that that's funny but yeah I got launched off a tube in the middle of a lake I was like underwater I'm like am I okay that's Midwest stuff right there but yeah
so that was my my welcome to the W the tone shifts as Caitlyn reflects on the transformative nature of the past year with sincerity she shares how life-changing it's been not just in terms of basketball but in the opportunities growth and lessons that have come her way I would say like I don't know lifechanging maybe that's a great one I think all in a good way like I mean things just change really fast like as you guys know like that's just how the world works especially with social media people see a lot of your life
but that's what makes it it fun and why I've had so many cool opportunities too so it's crazy like looking back at a a year ago today or around this time like I was just beginning my senior year at college and obviously you know people knew who we were and people attended our games but it's obviously not on the magnitude that it is now yeah Caitlyn expresses deep gratitude for the experiences the highs and lows and the people who have been with her through it all it's a grounded and heartfelt moment that reminds us why
she's such an inspiring figure beyond the court so like life just changes fast but that's that's what makes it fun and cool and you know quickly started a new chapter of my life too like moving here to Indianapolis and feel lucky I'm still in the midwest I know you guys like the Midwest so I think I've been in the midwest my entire life Jason's officially an East coaster now yeah but Philly of all the East Coast cities kind of has like some Midwest field to it the most West I don't think Philly wants to hear
that they'll probably hate that I said that but whatever they're not going to like that comment they want to be far from the Midwest no exactly Caitlyn doesn't shy away from being brutally honest she shares her spicy take on why NBA ratings have taken a hit she dives into what she believes is missing from the game whether it's the lack of rivalries the shift in play style or even how the league markets its Stars it's a bold and refreshing perspective from someone who understands what draws fans in and keeps them hooked let's hear Caitlyn's unfiltered
thoughts on what the NBA could do to win back view what are your what are your suspicions potentially as to why the NBA ratings would be down honestly like I feel like the average just like basketball fan doesn't understand how good NBA players are and they think it looks like they're not trying I promise you they're trying they're just like so good like that's why it looks like they're not trying and obviously the physicality of the league has changed a lot and I wasn't around when it was like much more physical and maybe people want
more like beef and physicality and people think it's gotten soft but I think that's also because the skill has just changed and like she then gives her honest take about how the sport keeps on changing and how that's good for the sport that's what's great about basketball like it's always evolving like it's going to be different than when MJ played it's going to be different in 10 years than it is now so it's hard for me to like put my finger on like why it has gone down and also it's competing against a lot of
football right now you have to take that into consideration like football is just you know that's America's favorite thing I think people should like I mean I love three-point shooting I love seeing guys just like launch threes but not everybody loves that so I don't know now is when the fun starts the three then brainstorm and address NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on their ideas to make the NBA fun again what do you think about a four-point line I love that let's do it that's actually idea genius that is genius fourpoint line how does the criminal
justice major come up with the best marketing plan right here sometimes you just got to open your eyes Jason look at the sheet of paper in front of you or we could get like just two spots yeah I uh what about what about you're saying that that everybody's questioning how physical the the game is what do you think a Hockey style fight won once a game just everybody picks a fighter who doesn't like a box two minute penalty boxing you can come back in you don't get ejected that's what I'm saying got some res not
holding back they then start talking about all the crazy gimmicks of the NBA Allstar game and that's when I loved it I think it should be East vers West like that's true Allstars like no doubt East vers West battle it out that's what it was about yeah so I think that's what what it should be but obviously not the commissioner mhm I'm on board for East vers West All Stars I think that's the whole point of it that's why you're an All-Star it's the best from the East versus the best in the west play each
other see which which side's better and even the NBA in season tournament was not spared from The Roasting I'm not going to lie I'm not a fan of any of these inseason tournaments that the NBA is doing I was actually talking about this today how are you not what is there to not be a fan of all the all the funky floor and then there's tournaments and they don't mean crap can we just like can we just play basketball can we just play basketball I'm getting like a migraine looking at the neon green like they
then shift gears and talk about Caitlyn's funny golf escapades I did you hit a person on a tabx I don't know how you do that okay would hit a person on a TX yeah we I I know I can relate Jason I don't know if you played in enough pram yet anybody but the video that was going viral where I like completely topped it so it's crazy like we're playing like these long par 3es that are like 200 yards I'm like I'm not good enough to hit a par three like 200 yards like so I
whip out my hybrid I'm like tee up my Hybrid Club just top it like straight out to the left but I think they down the third Bas line but I nailed somebody on a different par three like some woman like right in the shoulder like I saw I saw a Tik Tok like the next day just like black wel on her arm well that's just you hit her good if she just got a black well Jason then asked her a golden question about her legendary competitiveness you won't believe what she said as always Caitlyn with
the thoughtful but witty response are you more competitive in golf or uh basketball that's hard I think like golf makes me more mad because I'm not as good at it like I'm just like the average hack and like you want to be good like you're competitive just like basketball or football like it's like why am I not good at this so and it's like me it's like it's an individual Sport and we're used to team sports so I think that's what pisses me off too it's like it's all on me and I know it's all
my fault so I share your pain Caitlyn wraps up the conversation by looking ahead to life beyond the game she shares her thoughts on how she might combine her marketing major with her deep passion for basketball whether it's working to grow the sport mentoring young athletes or creating new opportunities for women in sports Caitlyn's vision for the future is as dynamic as her game it's clear she's already thinking about making an impact that extends far far beyond her playing years what would Caitlyn Clark be doing said you were a marketing major would you have gone
more into that world or you think you would have jumped into something else oh man that's tough I think if my basketball career would have ended I still would have loved Sports just because it was like so such a huge part of my childhood and like what I did yeah so I don't know maybe like try to work in like a front office of a Sports organization or something like that I think that would be cool not like the coaching side of it but like the operation side and getting to do like free agency stuff
and I think that would be really cool as the interview winds down it's impossible not to feel inspired by Caitlyn Clark's Journey her humility and her vision for the future from reflecting on her achievements to sharing her candid takes on Sports and life Caitlyn's authenticity shines through every word her story is still being written but one thing is clear whether she's on the court in the classroom or planning for what's next Caitlyn Clark is leaving a legacy that's bigger than basketball make sure to check out the full hour long interview on the new heights podcast
for even more insights from one of the most exciting athletes of our time what do you think let us know in the comments like subscribe and turn on all notifications so you never miss out click the video on the screen and we will see you in the next one
