The biggest star in the world of women’s basketball recently revealed a book that has shaped her mindset to what it is today. The name of the book? Winners Never Quit by soccer legend Mia Hammon. Hamm has since responded to Clark’s praise, expressing how honored she feels.

Opening about the admiration for the Iowa star’s achievements and growth, and how it feels to inspire her, in a recent interview, Hamm said, “I’m very honored and humbled because I’m a huge fan of hers”.

“Just to see what she’s been able to do in such a short amount of time with the attention and the high level of expectations, but she’s created that for herself. So I feel very honored and excited to continue to see her grow,” she continued.

Playing the same position as Hamm in soccer in high school, Clark revealed how much she adored and admired the soccer star as a kid, which is still the same today.

“The resilience (Hamm) had, that’s the whole story of the book. And what USA Women’s soccer did for not only female athletes but women in general. And how they brought about people together. Like that’s just has been her ability, it’s just really to inspire people and to give back. And I don’t think I would be here if it wasn’t for them,” Caitlin Clark said.

Before Clark was selling out arenas and reshaping the women’s sport we know of today, Mia Hamm was doing the impossible in her own lane. She became the face of U.S. women’s soccer during a time when the sport barely had infrastructure, let alone a spotlight. Her accolades are jaw-dropping:

• Two-time Olympic gold medalist
• Two-time FIFA World Cup champion
• Former all-time international goals leader (a record she held for over a decade)
• No. 1 in USWNT history in career assists (144)
• 276 international caps, ranking among the most in U.S. history

But beyond the medals and records, Hamm’s true impact was cultural. She helped launch women’s soccer into mainstream America, inspired the 1999 boom, and became the blueprint for female athletic excellence long before NIL, superteams, or primetime broadcasts existed. She was the role model for girls who didn’t yet have many, one of whom was also Caitlin Clark.

For Clark, Hamm’s story wasn’t just a bedtime read; it was a blueprint, a map to follow to become someone she looked up to and become the same inspiration Hamm is. And it’s safe to say Caitlin Clark has lived up to that inspiration.

‘The Caitlin Clark effect’ on women’s sports

The foundation Hamm helped build has met a moment where fan interest, visibility, and investment in women’s sports are exploding, and Clark has become one of the most powerful engines driving it forward. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star shattered nearly every historical record imaginable. Arenas sold out months in advance, national broadcasts routinely crossed the million-viewer mark, and the NCAA championship game featuring Clark vs Angel Reese, which drew an unprecedented 18.9 million viewers.

Before she stepped into the WNBA, the league was treated like a high-school tournament. But after she joined as the No.1 pick by Indiana, Fever home games averaged over 17,000 fans, a 319% surge from the previous year, while multiple teams had to move their matchups to larger venues just to meet demand. And for the first time, the WNBA became appointment television from opening night through the postseason.

The effect she had on the sport has multiple brands chasing athletes for deals and partnerships, which once looked like a dream, giving them the much-deserved attention. Turning the kid, who grew up reading Winners Never Quit, into the role model who is fueling a new era.