Caitlin Clark breaks down her logo 3 signature three-pointer
This week, 60 Minutes correspondent Jon Wertheim reported on the recent success of the WNBA, the top league of American women's basketball.
Legions of new WNBA fans are filling up arenas and tuning into games. Attendance is up 48% across the league and TV ratings have surged 153% from last season.
Millions watched Clark's performance in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament earlier this year and were amazed by what has now become her signature shot: a three-pointer from just inside mid-court, near the home team logo, also known as the "logo 3."
On a Fever practice court, Clark showed 60 Minutes Overtime all the different elements that come together for this crowd-dazzling shot.
When Clark has the ball and is crossing the mid-court line, she always looks to the rim for a teammate in the post.
"I always want to get to our post players when they're running to the rim…usually somebody picks me up," Clark explained.
"But if not, you just launch it…hope it goes in and let it fly. That's what the people love. So, I got to give them what they want."
Clark said the motion of the upper body and arms is like any other shot. But the most important factor in successfully netting a ball from that distance is balance.
"I think having good balance is definitely the most important thing… I think a lot of really good shooters would probably tell you the same thing," she said.
Clark said strong legs are also necessary to get the jump right.
"It can't be all upper body. It's got to be your legs" she told Wertheim. "I was a soccer player growing up…And I think that's where I kind of got my leg strength from."
Surprisingly, unlike many other players, Clark is not a fan of the "catch and shoot" approach, catching a pass from a teammate before shooting, when she's attempting a three-point shot. She prefers to dribble the ball right before the launch.
"I'm pretty sure if you asked, like, 10 people, I would probably be the only one to ever say that," she said.
"It's just what I'm more comfortable with. But also, I think with the way people guard me, I don't get a lotta catch and shoot-threes."
Clark said she'll often have to create the space for herself to fire off a three, something that is not an easy task at the WNBA level.
"It was tough at first, I think just because people are bigger, stronger, faster. But then you kind of figure it out as you go, and I've gotten a little bit better at it," Clark said.
Two years ago, Clark's team, the Indiana Fever, sometimes played before fewer than a thousand fans. This season, they've played for sold-out crowds, with more than 17,000 fans in attendance.
Clark told Wertheim that she had always dreamed of playing in the WNBA as a young basketball fan growing up in Iowa. Wertheim asked Clark if her experience in the league has matched those expectations.
"It far exceeds my expectations," she said. "It's even more than I ever imagined."
"They didn't have a ton of fans last year. And now, people show up on Sundays, where there's NFL football, and our stadium is still sold out…I look around before every National Anthem and just kind of take in the crowd."
The video above was produced by Will Croxton. It was edited by Sarah Shafer Prediger.
Video and stills courtesy of WNBA Enterprises, LLC and Getty Images.
