Caitlin Clark Didn't Back Down To Iowa Football Player After His Basketball Challenge
You would think that after everything Caitlin Clark has done on the court, people wouldn't doubt her athletic abilities. But Clark is still facing skeptics, one of whom is an Iowa football player bold enough to think they can challenge the basketball player in a 1-on-1 game.
Clark has become a phenomenon on the basketball court after her impressive college career. At the University of Iowa, she helped lead the women's basketball team to the NCAA championship game, not once but twice. She also became the all-time leading scorer in an NCAA tournament, beating "Pistol Pete" Maravich. Despite Clark's disappointing salary, she has since moved on to a professional level as the No.1 draft pick in the WNBA. Even with her outstanding resume, Cooper DeJean, who played for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team, thinks he can beat Clark in a 1v1 game.
DeJean was gearing up for the 2024 NFL draft and was asked by an interviewer what has been the weirdest question he has answered. DeJean responded that because he and Clark both went to Iowa University, he has been questioned whether he could beat the athlete in a basketball game. His response, "I've said I think I can ... she would probably score a few buckets on me, but I think I can pull it off." DeJean's answer sparked a debate on the internet as to whether Clark could beat the football star, but the Indiana Fever player has made it clear she knows she can defeat DeJean.
Caitlin Clark humbled Cooper DeJean
Move aside, Angel Reese — Caitlin Clark has new beef with Cooper DeJean. Clark humbled DeJean quickly after he said he could beat her in a game of 1-on-1 basketball. In an interview with Up & Adams, they asked DeJean about all the chaos he caused for saying he could beat Clark. DeJean began praising his fellow University of Iowa alum, saying, "Obviously, Caitlin's a special player; she's done so much for women's basketball and the University of Iowa and in general, so I have nothing but respect."
After sharing his admiration for Clark, DeJean spilled the tea that the basketball star texted him and put him in his place after suggesting he could defeat her in a game. He said, "She took a shot back at me after, she texted me and said that she doesn't think I can beat her." DeJean then doubled down on his response and said once again he could beat out Clark in a 1v1 game.
Before you count DeJean out, you must know about his basketball background. The football player was a basketball star in high school, having scored over 1,800 points in his career. He explained to Up & Adams, "I used to play basketball ... I really wanted to play basketball coming into high school, like I wanted to play basketball in college, but it didn't work out. I stuck with football." With his past skills on the court, people aren't sure Clark can take on DeJean.
The internet has rallied behind Cooper DeJean
Despite her confidence that she can beat Cooper DeJean, the internet seems to think the football player would wipe the floor with Caitlin Clark. Many have shared their opinions of the hypothetical situation of DeJean and Clark going head to head, and many have backed the football star. One person wrote, "Caitlin Clark is 6'0" and 155 pounds. Cooper DeJean is 6'1", 207 pounds, has a nearly 40" vertical and is a former star basketball player. I like Caitlin Clark. She's great for women's basketball. She'd also struggle to score a single point on DeJean."
Before seeing DeJean's basketball highlights, the Up & Adams interviewer wasn't sure that the football star could beat Clark, who has had quite the transformation over the years. This opinion was wild to internet users who disagreed. One person tweeted, "It is CRAZY that a legitimate sports commentator could possibly think that Caitlin Clark could win this game...And even crazier that she did fully change her mind when she finally saw his insane hoops highlights! I'm amazed they posted this clip!"
While the majority of online opinions seemed to rally behind DeJean, some would back Clark no matter what. One person wrote, "No way, CC is the best! She'll tell you to stick to football." The debate has continued online, but despite all the doubts, Clark is sure of her athletic abilities and knows she can take on DeJean.