Best friend from Iowa brought out Clark’s personality

Caitlin Clark is not as serious around certain people

Former Iowa teammates Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin met on the court before their first WNBA clash as members of the Indiana Fever and Las Vegas Aces, respectively. The interaction ended with an unexpected slap on the butt from Clark that raised some eyebrows.

Caitlin Clark’s relationship with Kate Martin

Clark and Martin’s relationship goes back to their time in college, when the best friends from the same incoming class used to room together and drive to practice together. It was clear by Clark’s behavior just how comfortable the two still are around each other.

Martin drew out a playful, mischievous side of Clark that is rarely shown in the media when she is busy defending herself against critics, playing role model for the next generation and signing a never ending stream of endorsement deals.

The 22-year-old was launched into such a spotlight at Iowa that she rarely had the chance to just be a kid, but Martin was the grounding force that often helped relieve some of the pressure. Their fates remained tied heading into the W, as Martin attended the WNBA Draft just to support her friend going No. 1 overall, but ended up getting picked in the second round by the back-to-back defending champs.

Hawkeyes reunite in Las Vegas

The matchup of former Hawkeyes made for a must-watch affair, which Las Vegas won 99-80. Clark and Martin took turns guarding one another as their college coach Lisa Bluder watched on from the stands. It was the best game of Martin’s young career, as she notched 12 points and seven rebounds in the win.

“It was weird, I’m not gonna lie,” Martin told NBA TV after the game about playing against her best friend for the first time in her life.

Although the Fever dropped to 1-6 on the season, the reunion of Clark and Martin provided great entertainment. It gave Indiana fans a glimpse at who Clark really is, beyond the glaring intensity of the spotlight.