Caitlin Clark, who made history as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball, is the daughter of Brent and Anne Nizzi-Clark

Skyler Caruso is a Writer and Reporter of PEOPLE Digital Entertainment. She joined PEOPLE in 2021, but has eight years of experience working in digital publishing with a focus on entertainment and pop culture news.

Meet the parents who raised a shooting star.

Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking women’s basketball player from the University of Iowa, is the daughter of Brent and Anne Nizzi-Clark.

On Feb. 15, Caitlin made history as the all-time leading scorer in NCAA women’s basketball during the game that saw Iowa’s 106-89 victory over Michigan. Her accomplishment, totaling 3,569 points (and counting), surpassed Kelsey Plum’s previous record of 3,527 points.

Caitlin’s remarkable feat immediately drew attention from superstar athletes like seven-time Super Bowl champ Tom Brady and 39 Grand Slam winner Billie Jean King — but above all, she had her mom and dad’s in-person support on the court when she hit that unforgettable 3-point shot.

Tom Brady, Billie Jean King, Ashton Kutcher and More Congratulate Caitlin Clark on Breaking NCAA Women’s Scoring Record

“She’ll look to the stands every so often and I try to give her some reassurance,” Brent, who’s been to nearly every one of his Caitlin’s basketball games, previously said of showing up for his daughter. “I try to do the best I can.”

Caitlin has established herself as one of the greatest women’s basketball players long before becoming an NCAA all-time leading scorer. In March 2023 alone, she received the prestigious Naismith Trophy and was named The Associated Press National Player of the Year.

“It’s quite amazing,” Anne told Hawkeye Headquarters of her daughter’s honor at the time. “Honestly, it’s just been a fabulous journey thus far and [we’re] super proud of her.”

Her parents were also there to cheer her on in the NCAA championship, though she and her team ended up losing the game marking the final one of her college career.

Read on to learn more about Caitlin Clark’s parents, Anne and Brent Clark.

They share three kids together

Anne and Brent are the parents of three children: Blake, Caitlin and Colin. The basketball star is their second-born child, who was raised in West Des Moines, Iowa alongside her athletic siblings.

Caitlin’s older brother, Blake, played football for Iowa State University. Colin, Caitlin’s younger brother who also plays basketball, previously shared how they’d play “typical one-on-one games” in their childhood home, which fueled her competitive edge.

“There was a loose ball and she ended up shoving me in the corner of the basement into the wall,” he recalled in a previous interview. “Split my head open. Got four staples.”

Iowa Basketball Star Caitlin Clark Draws Massive Crowds at Golf Tournament: ‘Super Cool to See’

They both have athletic backgrounds

Both Caitlin’s parents grew up playing sports.

Brent was a college athlete, playing both basketball and baseball at Simpson College in Iowa. He was a four-year letter winner for both teams from 1985 to 1988. He earned First Team All-Conference honors and Second Team All-Conference honors for basketball, according to the school’s official hall of fame website.

Athletics runs in Anne’s side of the family, too. Her father, Bob Nizzi, was the football coach at Dowling Catholic in Des Moines. Caitlin, who also attended the high school, kept the family’s athletic legacy alive by joining the basketball team.

“We were always involved in sports and at home, we were always around sports,” Blake told The Gazette of his family. “We watched sports at night whether we would go to Drake and watch basketball games, or watch cousins play their basketball games or tournaments, when you’re just around something that much, it’s what you do, too.”

Brent used to coach Caitlin Clark in basketball

Brent used to coach Caitlin in basketball when she was young. Her grandfather, Bob, recalled to HawkFanatic when he knew Caitlin was destined for greatness at an early age.

When Caitlin was five years old, Bob and his wife watched her play in a co-ed game. At one point, she was visibly frustrated with the strength and size of the boys playing tough defense.

“They were playing and there was a particularly large young man and rather aggressive that was about to position and out strength Caitlin and sometimes to the point where he was really taking advantage of the little girl,” Bob told the sports outlet.

So Caitlin’s father, Brent, benched her to compose herself. “Her father sat her down and then he said when you’re ready I’ll put you back in and she stopped crying,” Bob remembered.

Upon re-entering the game, Bob said Caitlin “went right to this guy and put on the best downfield block that I have ever seen and rolled this kid out of bounds and stood over him.” He reemphasizes, “She’s a five-year old little girl.”

“That’s is when her grandmother and I looked at each other and said, ‘She’s going to be really something.’”

Brent says he sees ‘a lot of himself’ in Caitlin Clark

Being a former athlete, Brent says he sees bits of himself in his daughter.

“I see a lot of myself at times in Caitlin in terms of her passion for the game,” Brent said when speaking to KCRG-TV9 in February 2023. “All in all, that’s really what drives her and makes her the player that she is.”

Brent, no doubt a proud dad, notices the influence his daughter has on others — particularly young girls who look up to her as a player. “You go out of town and the crowd is filled with little girls with ‘Caitlin Clark’ signs. I mean, I think that’s pretty cool,” he told the outlet.

Who Is Caitlin Clark’s Boyfriend? All About Connor McCaffery

 

Anne says Caitlin Clark has a ‘fun, spunky attitude’

Iowa Hawkeyes guard Caitlin Clark hugs her Mom after the game against the Purdue Boilermakers on January 10, 2024.BRIAN SPURLOCK/ICON

While most of the world sees Caitlin’s competitive and fierce personality on the court during basketball games, her mom Anne opened up to The Gazette about what she’s really like when she’s at home.

“She just has that fun, spunky attitude,” Anne told the outlet. “She lets them say it’s OK to laugh. You really see that at home.”

Meanwhile, Brent said there are elements to her character that shine both on and off the court.

“I think she’s just very outgoing and confident as a person,” Blake added. “I think that’s apparent on the court, she plays with a lot of confidence.”

He continued, “There’s not a shot she doesn’t think she can take or make. And she just kind of plays with a swagger, she doesn’t care if she’s missing shots, she trusts that the next one’s going to go in.”

 

Brent shares advice with Caitlin Clark amid her rise to fame

While Caitlin’s parents are her No. 1 fan, their role as her protective mom and dad comes first. When speaking with KCRG-TV9, Brent shared the advice he tells Caitlin as her stardom continues to rise.

“You gotta stay away, sometimes, from the social media. There’s always going to be somebody who’s gonna want to see you fall,” he said. “Whether you’re the President of the United States or some other high-profile person, there’s about 50% lined up against you, 50% lined up for you.”

“There’s not place she goes or a game she plays where they don’t know who she is, so it’s always a challenge, but I think that’s great,” he continued. “I think that helps elevate her game and I think she’s got a lot of room for improvement on both sides.”