Who knew a Women’s College World Series moment would lead fans straight back to Caitlin Clark? Turns out, long before she lit up the WNBA and became the face of the NCAAWB, she was already influencing the next generation—literally a few doors down.

Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan, now dazzling in her second straight WCWS, shares more than a home state with Clark. As ESPN’s Holly Rowe revealed on-air, “Kavan grew up just a couple of doors down,” from Caitlin. The kicker? “Caitlin Clark’s dad, Brent, was asking me (holly rowe) , like, ‘How’s Teagan Kavan doing?’”

Hooked yet? Because this story only gets better.

Kavan, who didn’t even play high school softball due to scheduling conflicts, still managed to rise to the top of the national rankings through travel ball alone. She chalked up a staggering 1,444 strikeouts, six no-hitters, and 45 shutouts for Iowa Premier Fastpitch—earning a No. 5 overall national ranking by Perfect Game. But rewind to her freshman summer at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, Iowa—where Caitlin Clark stepped in.

“She took me to basketball practice my freshman year summer,” Kavan told D1Softball. “It’s really cool we have that connection.”

That’s right. Before she was the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2024, Caitlin Clark was just the older neighbor making sure a freshman got to basketball practice on time. So when Brent Clark asked Holly Rowe before the WCWS broadcast, “How’s Teagan Kavan doing?” it was just a dad showing interest in a neighbor kid. And while Clark and Teagan might not have kept in touch much since Clark left for Iowa, the mutual admiration hasn’t gone anywhere.

Last year, after a Fever win, Caitlin didn’t shy away from giving the hometown hero her flowers:

“I had the Women’s College Softball World Series on instead,” she said when asked if she caught the NBA Finals, per ClutchPoints on X. “There’s a girl that pitches for Texas who’s a freshman that actually lived a couple streets over from me growing up.”

That girl? The same Teagan Kavan now trying to pitch Texas to a national championship, again. She didn’t play for Dowling Catholic—Clark’s school—because Iowa’s softball season clashed with summer hoops. So, Kavan took her talents to the travel ball circuit instead.

Today, Kavan reps Texas, while Clark commands the WNBA’s spotlight. But the bond forged in West Des Moines—one defined by basketball, rides to practice, and Midwest grit—remains special.

“It’s really cool to see everything she has done for women’s sport,” Kavan said. “We can show girls from Iowa and the Midwest that they can dream whatever dream they have… and make it.” And now, with Kavan starring on ESPN and Clark’s father cheering her on from afar, the secret tie between Iowa’s two prodigies is out for the world to see.

But while Clark might have inspired and been a fun senior for Teagan Kavan, for others, she’s been a nightmare. Don’t believe me? Just ask Dawn Staley, the legendary South Carolina Gamecocks coach, who has openly shared how losing to Clark in the 2023 NCAA semifinals shook her faith and beliefs.

NCAA Coach Dawn Staley Faces Backlash Over Comments on Caitlin Clark

In a recent appearance on Van Lathan Jr.’s show to promote her book The Uncommon Fever, Staley admitted that loss was the toughest of her entire career. “We had a great team,” Staley said. “They did all the right things. Great people, great competitors. So, I wanted them to win. I wanted them to go off, you know, with a bang. And when that didn’t happen, they were hurt, and that hurt me to my core.”

She added, “It didn’t hurt me enough to think there was no God. But I then questioned, ‘Hey why? I need to know why.’”

Staley went on to describe how that moment made her wrestle with her faith, feeling abandoned by God for a time. Yet, she found strength and redemption by the next year, leading South Carolina to the 2024 NCAA championship, where they defeated Iowa and Clark in the finals, completing a powerful comeback.

While Staley’s reflections are deeply personal, critics were quick to jump on the narrative surrounding Clark’s rising star. When CBS announced WNBA Tip Off — a new pregame show featuring Renee Montgomery and Dawn Staley as analysts with Sarah Kustok hosting — sports commentator Jason Whitlock fired off a scathing tweet:

“Renee Montgomery called Caitlin Clark fans racist. Dawn Staley says losing to Clark made her question God. Perfect hosts for pregame show for a league dependent on Caitlin Clark. You can’t make this stuff up.”

It’s clear Caitlin Clark isn’t just influencing the next generation— she’s stirring strong emotions in the older ones, too.