Caitlin Clark is one of the sports universe’s biggest stars. She has gained immense popularity for functioning as women’s basketball’s version of Stephen Curry. Her style of plays is immensely fun to watch. However, a recent admission may have angered a significant portion of her national fanbase.
Advertisement
Clark recently appeared on the New Heights podcast with Jason and Travis Kelce. During the episode – the first of 2025 – she confirmed she is a Kansas City Chiefs fan. She made sure to mention, though, that her Chiefs Kingdom membership stems from her childhood.
“I have family in Kansas City. I grew up in Des Moines, Iowa, which is only three hours [away]… That’s just the closest NFL team, so my dad was a big Chiefs fan growing up… people think I’m a like a bandwagon Chiefs fan. I’m like, ‘No! I was there before Patrick [Mahomes] and Travis… we were ride or die.”
Clark referenced a picture of her younger self decked out in Chiefs gear as evidence for her claim. She also discussed her brother’s “love” for Tony Gonzalez. Travis broke Gonzalez’s franchise record for touchdowns in Week 17 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
HOLIDAY TOUCHDOWN FOR TRAVIS‼️ pic.twitter.com/sqgtsd0r1K
— Kansas City Chiefs (@Chiefs) December 25, 2024
These days, Clark can afford to get a nice, cozy luxury box for late-season Kansas City contests. However, that wasn’t always the case.
Caitlin Clark reminisces on attending Chiefs games
For most people, a three-hour drive is far from a cakewalk. It’s manageable, but not something you want to do all the time. This is how Clark’s father felt about traveling south to watch Kansas City play in person when he was a little girl. As she has gotten older, freeing up the time to make the trek has become more difficult. But that hasn’t prevented her family from coordinating the occasional trip.
“We would go to like one game a year growing up… we still try to go. We went to the Christmas Day game last year. I think the year before that, you played on Christmas Eve… we were sitting outside for that one. My toes were about to fall off… I don’t know how you guys play in that type of weather, but it’s fun.”
The type of temperatures that define Chiefs games in December and January are a lot more tolerable if you’re confident in witnessing victory. The Chiefs have done plenty of that since Patrick Mahomes became their quarterback. Kansas City is 88-23 across the last six seasons when Mahomes started and has won three of five Super Bowls. This dominance led Clark to thank Travis Kelce on the podcast.
“All the success you guys have had has made it a lot of fun for us.”
Mahomes and Co. can make it four Super Bowls in six years – and an unprecedented three in a row – with a Super Bowl LIX triumph. They may not be who most NFL fans hope to see hoisting the Lombardi Trophy come February, but Clark will be in their corner. Her added star power is something the rest of the league didn’t need them to gain ahead of the playoffs.
