Caitlin Clark's Real Name: Caitlin Elizabeth Clark

Quick answer: Caitlin Clark's full name is Caitlin Elizabeth Clark. She was born on January 22, 2002, in Des Moines, Iowa, and plays under her real name. As a guard at the University of Iowa she became NCAA basketball's all-time leading scorer in 2024. That year the Indiana Fever drafted her No. 1 overall, and she was named WNBA Rookie of the Year (Library of Congress; Britannica).

Real name and early life

The Library of Congress name authority, filed as "Clark, Caitlin, 2002-," cites "Caitlin Elizabeth Clark, born January 22, 2002 in Des Moines, Iowa," and notes that she grew up in West Des Moines. Britannica gives the same birth date and place.

Britannica says she is the second of three children of Anne Nizzi-Clark and Brent Clark. She grew up in an athletic family and played several sports before focusing on basketball. At Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines she once scored 60 points in a game as a junior in 2019. That year she also won gold with the U.S. team at the FIBA under-19 world championship. She graduated in 2020 with 2,547 career points and was named Miss Iowa Basketball.

Career highlights

Clark, who is 6 feet tall, chose the University of Iowa. As a freshman (2020–21) she averaged 26.6 points and 7.1 assists and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She also won the 2021 under-19 world title and its MVP award. As a junior she averaged 27.8 points and was named AP Player of the Year. In the 2023 NCAA semifinal she posted 41 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists against Louisville. Iowa lost the final to LSU before a then-record average of 9.9 million viewers.

On February 15, 2024, she broke Kelsey Plum's women's scoring record of 3,527 points with a deep three-pointer against Michigan. She finished that game with a career-high 49 points. She then passed Pete Maravich's record of 3,667 points to become the top scorer in NCAA basketball history. Iowa reached the 2024 title game again and lost to South Carolina, 87–75. Britannica credits her popularity with boosting TV ratings and attendance for women's college basketball.

The Fever took her first overall in April 2024. As a rookie she set WNBA single-season records for assists (337) and points by a rookie (769), helped Indiana reach its first playoffs since 2016, and was named Rookie of the Year. Injuries limited her 2025 season to 13 of 44 games, but she averaged 16.5 points and 8.8 assists and was again named an All-Star.

Name notes for searchers

Elizabeth is her middle name. Caitlin Clark is not a nickname or stage name; she competes under her given first name and family surname.