While Caitlin Clark has built her legacy since her inception in the WNBA, the roots go back to her college days when she was under the winningest head coach in Iowa history, Lisa Bluder.

Bluder helped Clark get to the top in the most traditional way she knew, from books. Before she was the HC at Drake, she had read “Sacred Hoops: Spiritual Lessons of a Hardwood Warrior,” Phil Jackson’s 1995 book with Hugh Delehanty.

That book detailed his experiences coaching Michael Jordan when they were both with the Chicago Bulls, and coincidentally, Bluder used to feel the same way while coaching Clark.

“The things that Michael Jordan had, that Phil had to help Michael with, were some of the same things that I feel like I had to help Caitlin with,” Bluder said.

From there, Bluder began highlighting the passages and shared those portions with Clark.

She highlighted two passages, one about the pressure Jordan put on himself and his team, and another about handling criticism in the media. Then she would pull out the book at the team hotel on the road and hand it to Clark.

Reading about Jackson's experiences with Jordan allowed Clark not only to resonate with them but also to learn from them.

One of the biggest lessons Bluder gave Clark from the book was about teamwork and how Clark could not do it all by herself, as she initially thought otherwise.

Caitlin Clark Was Initially Not a Team Player

Clark did not trust her teammates while starting as a professional. And while that worked in high school, where she won the Iowa Gatorade Player of the Year twice, her "do everything herself" personality was immediately recognized by Bluder.

“She was always the show,” Bluder said. “She could do it by herself.”

But Bluder knew better that this attitude would not work in the competitive Big Ten. Collaborating with teammates didn’t come that naturally for Clark when she arrived at Iowa.

Bluder noticed Clark’s body language during moments of frustration and would point it out to her when they’d watch film.

She wanted to make Clark aware of the impact that had. Mostly, she knew how important it would be for Clark to bond with her teammates.

And a moment arose that allowed Bluder the opportunity to reframe Clark's thinking. The Iowa star voiced her frustration that one of her teammates wasn’t spending enough time in the gym.

Bluder responded with a question: “Well, did you invite them to come with you to the gym?” “Well, no,” Clark said. Bluder let that sink in.

This situation was reminiscent of the time Jackson held a private meeting with Jordan about sharing the spotlight with his teammates.

Jordan went on to raise concerns about the iconic triangle offense he ran, voicing that his teammates are not good enough to execute such a skill.

But Jackson did not stop trying and asked Jordan to trust his teammates to be his playmakers. “Whatever you want to do,” Jordan told Jackson, “I’m behind you.”

Jackson preached that team success hinged on synergy and mutual respect among team members. As Jackson wrote in his book and as Bluder highlighted, “Selflessness is the soul of teamwork.”

Safe to say, Bluder is one of the main reasons why Caitlin Clark has turned out to be one of the best players the WNBA has ever seen at just 24.

So, Lisa Bluder is the best, or at least the most important coach Caitlin Clark has had in her career till now? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Joy Bassy