Cooper DeJean, recently drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and former Iowa football star, updated his playful challenge to Caitlin Clark about playing basketball one-on-one. He made these remarks before the NFL Draft, recalling his days as a prominent high school basketball player in Iowa before choosing football.
DeJean believes he could win against Clark in a one-on-one game. He revealed that Clark texted him following his initial comments about the potential matchup. He expressed his respect for her, acknowledging her impact on women's basketball and the University of Iowa. "I mean, I was really just answering the question, but obviously, you know, Caitlin’s a special player," he said on Kay Adams' show "Up and Adams."
Clark responded with a text saying she doubted DeJean could beat her. DeJean took it lightly, noting, "She took a shot back at me after she texted me, and she said didn’t think that I could beat her. I’ll let her say that, but yeah, I mean, I think it’d be fun though if we got to play each other."
Kay Adams expressed skepticism about DeJean's ability to outplay Clark. Despite this, DeJean confidently pointed to his high school basketball achievements, although he admitted that no date has been set for their one-on-one.
DeJean's high school basketball career was impressive. He scored 1,832 points at OABCIG High School in Ida Grove, Iowa, surpassing NBA player Harrison Barnes by 45 points but trailing Detroit Lions' T.J. Hockenson by 55.
Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark recently finished her collegiate basketball career as the all-time leading scorer in Division 1. Selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, she is gearing up for her professional debut, just days away.
