Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark didn’t suit up against the Golden State Valkyries on Sunday, but her presence courtside still drew the loudest buzz inside Chase Center.
The rookie guard, sidelined with a groin injury, greeted a familiar pair of NFL names early in the game when San Francisco 49ers standouts George Kittle and Kyle Juszczyk made their way to her seats during a long first-quarter delay caused by a faulty shot clock. Clark shared hugs with both, sparking plenty of cameras in her direction.
For Kittle, the connection goes back years. He played his college football at Iowa, where his wife, Claire, also suited up for the Hawkeyes basketball program. That shared background keeps the couple tied to Clark even while they back the home-team Valkyries. Juszczyk and his wife, Kristin, also joined in on the quick catch-up before Clark headed to the locker room.
It wasn’t George Kittle’s first time at Chase Center for a Clark game either—he was also courtside in June when Golden State beat Indiana 88-77. The pattern continued Sunday, with the Valkyries walking away with a 75-63 win.
Caitlin Clark gets praise from Claire Kittle as Kate Martin stays unbeaten
Caitlin Clark still managed to be a topic afterward, this time thanks to Claire Kittle. The Valkyries’ official Instagram featured the 49ers crew in a post captioned:
“Faithful to Ballhalla ⚔️ Shoutout to our 49ers neighbors @gkittle, @juicecheck44, @ricky.pearsall, @clairekittle, @kristinjuszczyk, and @torimoraga for pulling up to Chase Center tonight!”
Claire reshared the post and added her own short but telling message: “But also Caitlin.” A small gesture, but one that underscored the Iowa bond between the Kittles and Clark.
Meanwhile, another Hawkeye alum was the one doing the damage on court. Rookie Kate Martin put up 10 points and two rebounds in 15 minutes, keeping her unbeaten streak against the Fever alive and helping the Valkyries solidify playoff positioning in their debut season.
Clark may not have logged a minute, but between NFL star power and Claire Kittle’s shoutout, the spotlight once again followed her—whether she was in uniform or not.
For more basketball content, click on Hardwood Heroics. Sabel Reyes can be reached through sabelreyes22@gmail.com. Other websites under the Sports Heroics umbrella are Gridiron Heroics and Wisconsin Heroics.
Sabel has been working as a field reporter for People’s Television Network (PTV), mainly about the Philippine Basketball Association since 2016 and has been elevated to Executive Producer for sports in 2022. Aside from being on top of the Philippine sports scene, she is also a running enthusiast. You can also follow her on X at @SabelReyes2 and Instagram at @msabelreyes.
