Why Caitlin Clark Is a Chiefs Fan

The Chiefs are the Closest NFL Team to Iowa

Sometimes, it really is that simple. Growing up in Des Moines, the future Iowa Hawkeyes women's basketball star did not have a local NFL team, but Kansas City was only three hours away.

"I have family in Kansas City and I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, which is only three hours from Kansas City," Clark said in an interview on Kelce's "New Heights" podcast in January. That’s just the closest NFL team. My dad was a big Chiefs fan growing up."

Clark's loyalty to her childhood team has not changed since living in Indianapolis. She and her Fever teammates were invited to a Colts game against the Las Vegas Raiders in October after the WNBA season ended, but she refused to wear the jersey they gave her.

She Went to Chiefs Games Every Year Before They Were Good

"We would go to one game a year growing up with my cousins down in Kansas City," Clark told Kelce. "People think I’m a bandwagon Chiefs fan. I’m like, ‘No, I was there before.’ Before Travis or Patrick [Mahomes]. We were ride or die. Now, obviously all the success you guys have had has made it a lot of fun for us."

Clark said she can remember sitting outside in the stands at a Christmas Eve game feeling like her "toes were about to fall off."

In 2025, sitting inside with Swift on multiple occasions — Clark got her first invite after going on Kelce's podcast — has made for a more comfortable gameday experience at Arrowhead Stadium.

She Loves Watching Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes

The three-time Super Bowl-winning duo of Mahomes and Kelce has reeled in many football fans. Even though Clark was part of "Chiefs Kingdom" before them, she told the star tight end they are her favorite players because of the competitive drive she shares with them as elite athletes.

"What I appreciate about you guys the most, you and Patrick especially, you guys just have that edge to you, that clutch factor," Clark said. "A lot of people don’t have that."

Whether she is at home or in the stadium, there is no doubt who Clark will root for when the Chiefs face the Colts on Sunday.