Thursday, October 1, 2026
A lot of the columns I write for the Herald center on similar things — books that have moved me, women who’ve inspired me, or the intersection of the two. As a 23-year-old navigating a fast-paced world, I turn to media and experiences that offer clarity and connection. That’s why attending the Long Island Association’s fall luncheon last week, at which Caitlin Clark spoke, felt especially meaningful.
For those unfamiliar with Clark, she is regarded as one of the best female basketball players in the game. She’s now a point guard for the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, but her collegiate career, leading up to the 2024 WNBA draft, attracted unprecedented interest in women’s basketball. Clark is credited with boosting WNBA attendance and viewership, and the influence she’s had on the sport has been dubbed the “Caitlin Clark effect.” And she’s only 23. Her career is just getting started.
I’ve always been an admirer of women’s sports and the athletes who have redefined what’s possible. I was at the game in which Abby Wambach broke Mia Hamm’s record for most goals scored for the U.S. women’s national soccer team. I remember watching Serena Williams dominate the tennis world with unmatched power and poise. And in high school, I competed at a track and field meet in New York City where Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone — now a four-time Olympic gold medalist — also ran.
You may be wondering: What does Caitlin Clark have to do with the Long Island Association, a regional nonprofit that champions Long Island’s business community? At first glance, not much. But here’s the link: Beyond her basketball career, Clark has earned recognition for her work in business and philanthropy — two pillars that resonate deeply with the LIA’s mission and broader conversations about leadership and impact.
In a Q&A session led by Matt Cohen, the association’s president and chief executive, an audience of more than 100 business affiliates and youth basketball players from Long Island colleges and high schools got a deeper look into who Clark is — not just as a basketball star, but as a businesswoman and a person. With moments of humor and personality mixed in, the conversation was engaging, thoughtful and insightful.
Before Clark joined Cohen on stage, he noted one thing that stood out: He knew Clark was changing the game of women’s basketball when he saw young boys sporting her jersey while playing on local courts around Long Island. Her ability to break boundaries and inspire boys and girls alike is nothing short of extraordinary.
Despite her stature, Clark remained grounded and thoughtful, thankful for those around her who have helped shape her success. She shared valuable insights with the business owners, journalists and especially the young athletes in the audience. Before she took the stage, we were asked not to take photos during the interview — a simple request that reminded me of something we all could stand to do more often: truly listen.
I realized that what made Clark’s presence so powerful wasn’t just her accolades or the “Caitlin Clark effect” that headlines so often mention. It was the way she spoke with purpose — about showing up every day with gratitude, about doing what you love so well that it creates space for others to do the same.
Listening to her, I thought about the throughline that connects so many of the stories I write and the people who inspire me: the idea that greatness is defined not by how loudly you stand out, but by how authentically you show up. In a world that often celebrates speed, visibility and instant results, there was something refreshingly human about being in a room where the takeaway wasn’t about performance, but about presence.
Clark may be changing the game of basketball, but perhaps her greater legacy will be how she’s changing the conversation — about women and about leadership. That’s what I carried with me as I left the luncheon: not just admiration for her success, but a renewed sense of what it means to be inspired, and to use that inspiration well.
Jordan Vallone is deputy managing editor of Herald Community Newspapers. Comments? Jvallone@liherald.com.
