Caitlin Clark shows ‘strong sense of self’ in Full Court Press by playing major role in creation of ESPN+ docuseries
WNBA star Caitlin Clark has shown her incredible court vision by serving as an executive producer for new ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press.
The Indiana Fever guard played a major role in the creation of the highly-acclaimed women’s college basketball docuseries – from the initial concept to the finished product.
GettyCaitlin Clark is the star of the new ESPN+ docuseries Full Court Press[/caption]
GettyClark, Kiki Rice, and Kamilla Cardoso attend the Full Court Press premiere at The Tobias Theater in Indianapolis, Indiana, on May 6[/caption]
GettyThe former Iowa star is an executive producer on the project[/caption]
GettyClark ensured cameras would be present at key moments in her life[/caption]
The four-part series, which premiered on ABC and ESPN+ on May 11 and 12, offers an in-depth look into the lives on and off the court of Clark, South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso, and UCLA guard Kiki Rice.
Along with the three players, the Omaha Productions project also features their teammates, coaches, and families.
The producers struck gold with Clark becoming one of the most famous and popular athletes in the country during the filming of the docuseries, in which she lead Iowa to the national championship game before being selected No. 1 overall in the WNBA Draft.
But what makes Clark’s role all the more incredible is that she was deeply immersed in the project – both in front of the camera and behind it – throughout a life-changing season for her.
“She reviewed all of the edits along the way. She had a point of view on the series on what key moments to follow,” Full Court Press executive producer Therese Andrews told The U.S. Sun.
“So we worked closely to make sure the cameras were there for all of those.”
Early on in the project, Clark and the producers had detailed discussions about the structure and format of the docuseries to enable her to concentrate on basketball.
“Following her during the biggest season of her career to date, the clip reviews and the filming happened in real time during the season,” Andrews said.
“There is only so much attention that she’s able to give.
“So the early-on development on how the show should be structured, why is the documentary important to you, what do you want us to cover was really critical for her.”
Omaha Productions founder Peyton Manning is credited with having the foresight to predict the sharp rise in women’s college basketball in the past year.
“It’s impossible to look at the landscape of sports and be like, ‘Who is interesting for a multi-part series?’ There is so much talent out there,” Andrews said.
“I will give a lot of credit for that to our internal development team. We spent a lot of time after [Netflix NFL series] Quarterback on what sport do we want to focus on, how do we want to do it, what’s the best vantage point into it?
“Our internal development team spent a lot of time combing through it, speaking with Peyton about strategy, and Peyton separately was really a lot of the driving force behind it.
“Peyton started speaking quickly with Caitlin and magic came together really fast.”
Clark, for her part, was keen for her senior season at Iowa to be documented as she had the sense it would be a seminal year for her – and women’s basketball as a whole.
“She recognized the same as we did that this was a moment of time that was really important to the sport overall but also important for her as a stepping stone into what’s next,” Andrews said.
“She wanted an opportunity to capture that in a way that you’re just not able to through headlines and coverage and she wanted to really stand out herself as an individual.
Omaha ProductionsA photo of Clark and her siblings as a child[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsClark is shown out and about with her teammates in New York City[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsClark jokes with Iowa teammates at a Christmas dinner[/caption]
“She saw the Quarterback series and saw what we were able to do with facilitating stories with those athletes and…how it could be advantageous for her and she jumped in very quickly.”
Andrews believes viewers of the docuseries will gain a new insight into Clark’s character and makeup.
“Part of what you learn through the series is that she has a strong sense of self and has since she was young,” Andrews said.
“There is a very strong foundation of who she wants to be and not just on the court but as a person.
“I think that was important for her to identify not just her story but to do her story a little more her own way and surround herself with people that she really trusted to facilitate that vision.”
‘INTIMATE’ MOMENTS
One of the most enlightening scenes is Clark and her boyfriend Connor McCaffery being filmed while out to breakfast at The Dandy Lion in Iowa City.
It came the day after Iowa’s 84-57 victory over Indiana on January 13.
Omaha ProductionsFans come up to Clark and her boyfriend as they wait for a table[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsA fan comes over to give Clark a high-five as she is eating[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsClark’s smile quickly fades after the fan walks away[/caption]
Clark and McCaffrey wanted to have a peaceful meal in a restaurant but they were mobbed by fans, showing just how famous she had become in such a short period of time.
“There are moments in certain people’s lives and explaining it can only go so far,” Andrews said.
“You have to see it and be embedded with the cameras as they were positioned for those private moments.
“There is an intimacy that can’t really be communicated between people.
“Everyone understands that she is a superstar and everyone who has followed her in some way has seen this rise for her but it’s hard to understand what the impact is on a deeper level until you’re able to witness it in the retelling of the season in real time.”
Clark and McCaffrey stand by the front door of the restaurant waiting for a table, when multiple fans talk to the Iowa star and ask for photos.
While she is eating, another fan walks over and says “Good game,” before giving her a high-five.
Clark’s smile quickly fades after the fan walks away.
“That breakfast scene was one of my favorites as a step away in understanding the simplicity of growing up the hometown kid now playing in Iowa and seeing this superstar in the middle of that,” Andrews says.
“It echoes not just in Iowa but also New York as well, the impact that she has on people and how they are to her.
“She’s just in a different element than most athletes.”
SECOND SEASON PLANNED
Omaha Productions deliberately made the docuseries not just about Clark but about two other women’s college basketball stars to highlight different schools and journeys to the WNBA.
Kiki Rice is the niece of US diplomat Susan Rice and was invited to watch former US president Barack Obama play basketball from a young age.
Omaha ProductionsUCLA guard Kiki Rice is also featured in Full Court Press[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsA young Rice with Kevin Durant and Barack Obama[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsSouth Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso is a Brazil native who plays for the Chicago Sky[/caption]
The UCLA’s star father and brother both played basketball for Yale while her mother played tennis for the elite college.
Meanwhile Kamilla Cardoso is a 6-foot-7 Brazilian center who left her family behind in 2016 at just 15 to pursue her dream of playing basketball in the US.
“Through Caitlin, we’re only able to see and understand the perspective that she has,” Andrews says.
“She has awareness that her perspective is different from others.
“So you learn more in the series of seeing Kamilla Cardoso’s international story and that component of what basketball means to her.
“And the same looking at Kiki Rice’s story – she comes from a really successful family and background and she has a very prestigious school that she’s trying to compete in.
“I think for Caitlin and really for us it’s a much fuller story if you’re able to expand to different characters and get those vantage points in.
Caitlin Clark fever
CAITLIN Clark's impact was already felt by the WNBA even before she was drafted.
The Iowa college superstar went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever in a surprise to absolutely nobody.
The Indiana Fever had 36 of their 40 games in the 2024 season scheduled for national TV – up from 22 last year.
Teams also moved their games against the Fever to bigger arenas to cater for the extra ticket demand.
Clark helped the NCAA draw 18.9 million viewers for the women’s championship game, more than the 14.8 million who watched the men’s decider.
She has also already signed a deal with Nike worth upwards of $20 million.
“As much as one character being compelling, it became important to see the season through multiple different lenses.”
Omaha Productions is already planning a second series of Full Court Press, with UConn star Paige Bueckers reportedly being lined up, per Front Office Sports.
“We certainly hope [we have a second season], we’ve started discussions about that already,” Andrews says.
“Even part way through the season, we were thinking this series would be different than others.
“Though it’s wonderful to be a standalone it would be better if we could find a way to fill this out.
“I think it was proven very quickly that three characters was a compelling story and we’re not done yet.”
Omaha ProductionsA second season of Full Court Press has been planned[/caption]
Omaha ProductionsClark helped ensure other women’s college basketball stars would be on the project[/caption]
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