Caitlin Clark Had Such a Classy Exchange with Brazil Coach During Fever Game at Iowa

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Sunday afternoon's matchup between the Indiana Fever and the Brazilian national team, held at Iowa's Carver-Hawkeye Arena—Caitlin Clark's old home court—was quite the spectacle. Ticket prices for the event were through the roof, and after the game, Clark not only signed autographs for many of the fans in attendance, but even for her opponents themselves.
The 23-year-old has turned into a global icon for the sport, and Brazil's head coach Leo Figueiro made sure she knew so during the game:
"You're an amazing player," he told Clark as she walked towards their bench. "Congratulations. You've changed the history of basketball."
Caitlin exchange with the Brazil coach
— correlation (@nosyone4) May 4, 2025
“You’re an amazing player congratulations. you’ve changed changed the history in basketball”
“I appreciate it thanks for coming here. most people you’ve played in front of?”
“Yeah” 😭 pic.twitter.com/T4oGGVHOQO
"I appreciate it. Thanks for coming here and playing us," she responded, before asking: "Most people you've played in front of?"
"Yeah," Figueiro answered with a smile. A really cool moment.
Clark finished Sunday's exhibition with a game-high 16 points that included a ridiculous three-pointer from the same spot where she broke the NCAA's all-time scoring record. Indiana won the game 109-44.
Sunday was the Fever's second of three preseason games before kicking off the 2025 regular season. They open their campaign this coming Saturday, May 17 with a matchup against Angel Reese, Hailey Van Lith, and the Chicago Sky from Indiana's Gainbridge Field House.
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Mike Kadlick is a senior NFL news writer for Sports Illustrated. He’s also a New England Patriots reporter for CLNS Media, where he hosts the Patriots Daily podcast and covers the beat from Gillette Stadium. Before joining SI, Kadlick worked at WEEI sports radio in Boston. He holds a master’s degree in public relations from Boston University. When Kadlick’s not covering football, he can be found running, spending time with his wife and dog, and enjoying all things pizza.