For Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, there was one player she looked up to the most growing up.

Now that she’s on the brink of revolutionizing the sport of women’s basketball as we know it — if she hasn’t already — the 22-year-old paid homage to the WNBA legend who helped shape her into the woman she is today.

Before Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Lynx, Clark was asked to share her thoughts on returning to Minneapolis for a rematch against the Lynx on Aug. 24. What makes that date so special is Minnesota plans to retire the jersey of former WNBA MVP Maya Moore. Nobody will ever wear the No. 23 jersey for the Lynx again.

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For her part, Clark took the opportunity to give Moore, a four-time WNBA champion, her flowers.

“I was super excited when I saw that that was the game they were gonna do it at,” Clark said of the upcoming jersey retirement ceremony. “She deserves it; I know the fans will be absolutely incredible.”

The Fever star said all of this with a big smile on her face. She went on to reveal that as a young girl looking to someday follow in Moore’s footsteps, Clark considered the Lynx icon as “my LeBron James.”

“If you would’ve told me as a young kid that I’d be playing in the game that her jersey is retired at, it’s kinda full circle for me, too,” Clark continued.

“She was my favorite player ever growing up and that was who I loved watching. She was like my LeBron James as a kid. To just be in the building that night and to say I got to play in that game is super cool.”

There’s no denying James has had an immense impact on the sport. Based on her statement, this is the type of influence Moore had on Clark while the latter was growing up.

Aug. 24 at the Target Center is going to be a special night, and Clark is delighted to be part of it.

New York Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu (20) and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) watch a free throw Saturday, July 6, 2024, during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.