If you’ve heard about Chris Brickley, chances are you know him for training the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant. Now he might be known as the trainer Caitlin Clark turned down. Well, not technically Caitlin herself. But something kept her from going to New York to train with her idol, LeBron’s, workout guy. Especially after injury-ridden season when conditioning tips from James’ circle would be a blessing.

Chris Brickley himself provided the answer to why this never happened. During a sit-down interview on The Line with Dr Kristen Holmes he revealed what happened to his workout proposal for CC.

Why did Caitlin Clark Decline the Invite?

For starters, it is not Caitlin Clark who declined Chris Brickley. The opposite, in fact. She wanted to work out with him. He revealed he had a standing offer for Clark since she was the standout for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

After her RoTY season, Clark took a much-needed break from playing (she went from the NCAA finals to the draft to the 2024 WNBA season without a break) basketball by skipping Unrivaled and overseas. Her offseason gained attention since then.

However, 2025 drew interest to her recovery and W/NBA trainers wanted to work with her this offseason. Unfortunately, front office business is getting in the way. “Some teams are like, ‘No, you need to be with me for the first three years.’ This is happening with me and Caitlin Clark,” Brickley told Dr. Holmes. The downside of this request is that Brickley has to work out athletes in facilities that aren’t his.

CC on the other hand was apparently keen on working out with Brickley before this season. But the Indiana Fever expected him to come to Indianapolis for that. “So, Caitlin Clark finished her rookie season. We’ve been talking for a few years. So we were going to work last summer, but I was gonna have to go to Indianapolis. And I respect it. When you’re young on your team, you work out at your practice facility.”

 Who Is Chris Brickley?

Once the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Carmelo Anthony seek you out, you’ve officially gained the reputation of a top trainer in basketball. That’s Chris Brickley. A New York native and University of Louisville grad, he primarily works out of his home state. After a short coaching career in college, he found his calling in player development after the Knicks hired him in 2013.

He’d leave in 2027 to found BlackOps Basketball in New York and became notorious as a private trainer NBA players flocked too. His client list boasts at least 50 NBA players including CJ McCollum, D’Angelo Russell, Tim Hardaway Jr., Donovan Mitchell, James Harden, Russell Westbrook, Joel Embiid, and Kawhi Leonard – players whose health has held them back.

Actually he also owns a clothing brand, Color Blind that Justin Bieber and the Kardashians love but that’s a different story. He knows what injured players need to bounce back and perform at an elite level again. The core of that is BlackOps Basketball. CC needs to be in Brickley’s facility for that.

He’s got innovative techniques like a smooth basketball without the traditional pebbling to remove the familiar texture, a ball with uneven weight to make it unpredictable, and a weighted balll for precision dribbling and passing. These unusual basketballs make the player more careful about ball-handling.

However, the atmosphere in the WNBA is a bit dicey. The CBA negotiations aren’t going anywhere, Clark is supporting the players union with her stardom, the commissioner’s alleged remarks about her are stoking the fires, Fever needs to rebuild around her as soon as the CBA is finalized. Not ideal circumstances for Clark to head to New York for.

What Chris Brickley Said About Caitlin Clark

Maybe if Clark had Brickley much sooner, the 2025 season would’ve gone differently. And it appears this offseason is nearly the same. Social media posts are an indication that she’s training with the Indiana Fever staff this offseason too. Regardless, Brickley is not letting this opportunity pass again.

In the end, Brickley hinted that he’s positively finding a way to work with her and the Fever staff. “So I’m hoping now, this off-season, I’m hoping that she’ll come to New York and we’ll get some work in.”

To conclude, he gave his reasoning to want to help Clark. “Man, she’s the reason why the WNBA has become so big. I’d love to work with her. She’s an amazing talent… and I love her competitiveness, too.” 

At the most, Clark’s offseason is still undecided. That leaves a little wiggle room for her to head to New York to train under Brickley.