These days you'll normally watch Caitlin Clark doing the gift-giving. She takes photos with fans after games, signs autographs, signs jerseys, and gives away game-worn sneakers. During the summer of 2023, Caitlin visited the Iowa Cubs to throw out the first pitch and initially, the line for autographs was so long, that she didn't have time to meet everyone.

After throwing out the first pitch, she went back to the line of fans and stayed past her scheduled time, so she could meet with as many people as possible. It appears that's just who Caitlin is. She appreciates it all. Whether that's people cheering for her on the basketball court or how insane her life has been these past few years. She seems to try and enjoy all of it the best she can.

She will go down as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time, man or woman. It feels like she becomes more popular after every game. Whether she's setting new records or hitting game-winning three-pointers, she's been an inspiration to so many people, girls, and basketball fans.

How did Caitlin become this good? Who did she look up to for inspiration when she was a young athlete? I'm sure there were multiple athletes Caitlin looked/s up to but one, in particular, was a soccer icon, gold medalist, and World Cup champion, Mia Hamm.

About 2 months ago, Caitlin received a pretty cool gift from one of her idols, with the help of sports commentator, Debbie Antonelli.


 

It's interesting to watch superstars getting excited about their heroes. The way Caitlin looks up to Mia Hamm is the way plenty of girls around the country look up to Caitlin. To make this even more special for Caitlin, Mia Hamm wrote a message saying "So fun to watch you play. Keep being you. Can't wait to see you change the world." 

No matter how famous Caitlin gets or how many scoring records she sets, it's pretty cool to watch her be a kid again, even if it's only for a few seconds. To watch her realize one of her idols is excited about what she's done for women's sports...you just love to see it.

Our Favorite Caitlin Clark Photos

Iowa's nunber two scorer of all-time, after just three seasons, Caitlin Clark continues to build on her already legendary career.

Gallery Credit: Getty Images

Participants in 2023 Rise 2 Greatness Celebrity Softball Game

The game is at Veterans Memorial Stadium in Cedar Rapids on Saturday, July 29 at 7 p.m. A fireworks display follows the game. Tickets can be purchased here. All proceeds support The Jerry Ford Grow the Game Fund.

Gallery Credit: Rise 2 Greatness Foundation