Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark has voiced her support for Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final against Spain, with Lionel Messi being a primary motivator for her choice. Clark shared her allegiance following the Fever's victory over the New York Liberty on Saturday night.
"I’m cheering for Argentina," Clark stated. "I want Messi, so I’ll be cheering hard."
Argentina is aiming to secure consecutive men's World Cup titles, while Messi, at 39, is seeking his second consecutive championship in the tournament.
Clark's interest in soccer extends beyond the current World Cup. She was an accomplished player in her youth, competing in high school during her freshman and sophomore years. She scored 26 goals in her first season and earned first-team all-state honors. Clark mentioned on the "Post Moves" podcast that she likely could have pursued college soccer but had to balance it with AAU basketball and USA Basketball commitments, ultimately leading her to give up the sport after her sophomore year.
She believes the skills developed through soccer, such as foot speed and understanding angles, contributed to her success in basketball. "The best thing it did for me was obviously foot speed, but also reading angles. That’s what soccer is — getting your body in the correct angle, leading people on passing, putting the ball on the perfect spot where they can run onto," Clark explained. "That helped me as a passer, understanding angles and leading people, manipulating where I want them to go. And it helped me get in incredible shape for basketball."
Clark is expected to watch the World Cup final before returning to her basketball season with the Indiana Fever, who are scheduled to host the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night.
