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Caitlin Clark Reveals Immediate Reaction to LeBron James' Personal Message

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Mathey Gibson | Last updated May 19, 2025 5:30 PM ET

Caitlin Clark doesn’t get starstruck often — but this moment was different.

After helping lead the Indiana Fever to a dominant 93-58 win over the Chicago Sky on May 17 to open the WNBA season, the second-year star got a surprise that even she couldn’t quite believe.

What shocked Clark?

A heartfelt Instagram post from her favorite player of all time — LeBron James.

“Good luck and DO YOU per usual this season!!! @caitlinclark22,” James wrote, alongside three photos of the two smiling and hugging in a recent tunnel meet-up. The gesture quickly went viral — and eventually, it reached Clark.

“I don’t really get too starstruck from people, and that was, like, a moment that I was, like, pretty — I had a...I knew I was gonna meet him when I was coming to the game, and that's, like, one of my idols,” Clark said on Monday. “LeBron is the GOAT to me.”

Caitlin Clark today on this LeBron tweet + meeting him earlier this spring: https://t.co/XgAAjjDMm3 pic.twitter.com/morgB92BKW
— Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) May 19, 2025

Though she didn’t see the post before tip-off, friends quickly flooded her phone with screenshots afterward.

“I was like, 'Oh my gosh.' I thought it was kind of fake at first...I didn’t know. I was like, 'Wait, is this actually LeBron James?' I knew the picture was weird because I knew that was me,” Clark joked.

For Clark, who averaged 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds during her Rookie of the Year campaign last season, the interaction was more than a celebrity moment — it was validation from one of the sport’s greats.

“He really does follow the WNBA, and he watches and he loves and appreciates basketball,” she added. “And he loves and appreciates the way the Fever and my teammates play.”

It’s safe to say that the respect is mutual.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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