“She’s like 'I don’t want any freaking ice cream'": Iowa HC Jan Jensen recalls when the “Caitlin Clark mission” began

Jan Jensen knew Caitlin Clark for many years as a coach for the Iowa Hawkeyes. That said, it only took a specific moment for her to see superstar potential in the eventual national sensation.

Jensen was interviewed by Time Magazine in an exclusive dedicated to Clark that was published on Dec. 10. She reflected on the accomplishments that the former Iowa star achieved throughout her career so far, both on and off the court.

Jensen's first interaction with Clark happened when she was in middle school. The then-Iowa assistant watched her in a game, seeing her pull off shots from beyond the arc and make passes that can be seen at the professional level.

What really stood out to her was Clark's desire to win and get better, which convinced her that the young player needed to have her potential realized.

“You could see her swag, the way she walked,” Jensen said. "In a peewee game, when everybody's like, ‘Your shot hit the rim, let’s go get ice cream,’ she’s like, ‘I don’t want any freaking ice cream. I want to win.’ That’s when the Caitlin Clark mission began."

Caitlin Clark reflects on rivalry with Angel Reese

In the exclusive with Time Magazine, Caitlin Clark reflected on her rivalry with Angel Reese.

The duo went head-to-head with one another in the 2023 and 2024 NCAA Tournaments. In the national championship game in 2023, Reese and the LSU Tigers came out victorious. Clark returned the favor the following year, beating LSU in the Elite Eight en route to another appearance in the championship game.

Clark disputed some notions between her and Reese, saying that she does not approve of the way the now-Chicago Sky star has been labeled for her actions toward Clark during those games in their collegiate careers.

“I don’t get that at all,” Clark said. "We’re not best friends, by any means, but we’re very respectful of one another. Yes, we have had tremendous battles. But when have I ever guarded her? And when has she guarded me?

“I didn’t think it was taunting. It really didn’t bother me. It’s just like, ‘Why don’t you talk about them winning? Or the incredible run that we went on that nobody would have thought we would have ever gone on?’ The only thing people cared about was this controversy that was really fabricated and made up, and then that has continued to be the case ever since.”

The duo played against each other four times throughout the 2024 WNBA season, with Caitlin Clark's Indiana Fever taking the season series 3-1 over the Sky. Clark led the team to the playoffs, while Reese missed the final portion of the season due to injury.