Caitlin Clark talks about her U19 gold medal and step into the NIL world

IOWA CITY — See what she did there?

When Caitlin Clark released her first piece of merchandise, as part of the new Name-Image-Likeness movement, she designed a black T-shirt with the phrase “Back In Gold, CC/22.”

Gold, of course, is part of the University of Iowa color scheme. And it signifies her reward from a recent overseas trip.

Clark was the most valuable player of the FIBA U19 World Cup in Hungary. She led Team USA to the gold medal (her third in international play), averaging 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists per game.

“The last two times I played for Team USA, I was the youngest on the team,” Clark said in a Zoom call with several media outlets Friday. “This was my first time starting. It was really different for me, guiding the others through the process.”

This time, Clark was the eldest, the captain. She guided the American team to seven consecutive comfortable victories.

“The U19 medal is one of the toughest,” she said. “A lot of those girls (from other nations) have played professionally overseas. And we won by good margins.

“The style is so much different than what you see in college. It’s more physical. Bumping, they let that go.”

Clark serves as the Hawkeyes’ point guard (she led the nation at 26.6 points per game and was second in assists at 7.1 per game on her way to All-America honors as a freshman), but she spent a good share of her time off the ball in Hungary.

“I know Coach (Lisa) Bluder is excited for me to play off the ball more,” Clark said. “It’s something we want, but I’ll probably have the ball in my hands most of the time. I’m the only true point guard we have.

“I’m working on setting screens to get open.”

The NIL world opened for NCAA student-athletes July 1, but with Clark leaving the country July 17, she didn’t rush into anything.

“I wanted to sift through everything, and honestly, I have a lot of people helping me,” she said.

Clark ultimately chose The Vinyl Studio in West Des Moines, about 5 minutes from her home.

“It’s female-owned, it’s local. I want to create something different,” she said. “There should be more stuff coming out.”

Clark was asked if she profits up front, or earns a cut from each shirt.

She wasn’t sure.

“There are a lot of people involved, and I really couldn’t tell you all the details,” she said. “I bought the shirts and designed the packaging.”

Shortly after Clark cemented her relationship with Vinyl Studios, ESPN submitted a list of the “most marketable male and female college basketball players.” Clark, who has 45,000 Instagram followers and more than 11,000 on Twitter, ranked 16th.

The ESPN report said: “Clark has long been recognized, and not just by celebrities; she has also been a vocal proponent of NIL rights. She has received significant interest from potential sponsors, but Clark says she will be "picky" about who she signs with, because she wants to focus on basketball.

“She’s now ranked fourth on ESPN.com's list of the top women's college basketball players for the 2021-22 season. Expect more offers, Clark.”

Comments: jeff.linder@thegazette.com