Jenna Clark Details Unique College Basketball and Ivy League Experience

Jenna Clark has had one amazing ride through basketball. The once tiny girl with the handles and play beyond her years has crafted herself into not just one of the best players in the Ivy League, but in the entire country.

(Photos courtesy of Sam Rubin/Yale Athletics)

In her junior season with the Yale Bulldogs, she was a Nancy Lieberman Award finalist for best point guard in the country. To put this into perspective, they select only 10 finalists in the entire nation. But even with the Nancy Lieberman nomination, it doesn’t tell the full story of Clark. The dream and vision started as a little girl in the Jefferson Hills of Pittsburgh who wanted to be a great hooper. Today, it’s obvious that grown woman Jenna has made that little girl proud.

“I am really proud of where I’ve come from. To be considered as one of the best point guards in the country is insane. I’ve put in so much time and the way my teammates have reacted to my success is really special. My parents also remain my number one fans and tracked all my stats and updated me on where I ranked in the country. Looking back on what I’ve done so far, I’m just super grateful. But the wins and being a part of more history at Yale continue to be my number one goal.”

In her high school days with the Thomas Jefferson Jaguars, she helped the program make history with their amazing run to the PIAA state semifinals and a section title in her senior year. It was nearly the picture perfect way to cap off a high school career that saw her go over 1,000 career points, set the program record in assists (412), become a finalist for Miss Pennsylvania Basketball, and be named first-team all-state. Clark also earned the nod of being a team captain in her junior and senior seasons, was a three-time WPIAL Class AAAAA all-selection; a two-time Class AAAAA all-conference; a two-time Big 56 selection; and a 2019 Trib 10 All-Star Team, and led the Jaguars to their best season in school history by finishing third in states.

“TJ breeds great athletes,” Clark said. “We’re known for our football and have won several state championships. The standard is for our teams to be winners. You feel like you have to fill some shoes. Being able to guide a team to the state semifinals is by far one of the most memorable and important accomplishments of my career. You could feel the community and pride. Everyone was buying in. When I look back on it, I’m so proud to have gone to TJ.”

Even with the unprecedented success Clark and company were having, no Power 5 offers came in for Clark. There’s no question that some frustration and hurt were experienced through the recruiting process. However, there were some pretty incredible opportunities that she received. When there’s an opportunity to play basketball at Dartmouth, Penn, and Yale; you’re doing something right. Baffling enough, Clark almost did not even take the visit to Yale because she didn’t believe it would be the correct opportunity for her. However, her AAU coaches with the Western PA Bruins convinced her she needed to reconsider this decision.

Now, around seven years later, making the long drive northeast to New Haven, Connecticut, for the official visit was easily one of the best decisions she’s made in life. She found a community full of support, a rigorous academic experience, and a true family within the Yale women’s basketball team. But even with the Allegheny County product becoming a two-time All-Ivy League player, Clark has unquestionably taken some “lumps” along the way.

Not only did she find herself in unfamiliar territory as a freshman being a reserve, but she even took a gap year in order to remain loyal to the program during what would have been her second year of college. Instead of transferring or wasting the year of eligibility by being enrolled in an Ivy League institution, Clark was humbled by moving back to Pittsburgh and navigating the next year of her life without competitive basketball. There may have been some intense workouts and opportunities along the way, but let’s face it; who doesn’t play basketball because they love the games most?

Even through this and a coaching change, Clark has remained focused on the vision for herself of becoming the most well-rounded, do-it-all point guard she can be. She also remains committed to the mission of Yale women’s basketball, which is to continue to push the needle and help the program to the postseason and a better finish in the Ivy League. The program has made some strides in recent years, but it is unquestionably not the point the team wants to remain at. There are bigger goals in mind for the team and some of this begins with Clark. But don’t be mistaken, she’s certainly done her part to help the team win games in her college career.

“These years have gone extremely fast and I’m trying to soak in every single moment I can to make sure I don’t take it for granted. There were some difficult adjustments, but I learned so much in my freshman season to make sure I could have an impact the next three seasons. I really take a lot of pride in being surrounded by these kinds of people and teammates at Yale. I’m really excited about next season because we have a large, core group of seniors and all five starters coming back. The future is bright.”

Over her three college seasons, Clark has started in 55 of her 79 career games. She’s added 618 career points, 318 assists, 302 rebounds, and 92 steals. She also was the Ivy League leader in assists, set the Yale single-season record in assists in back-to-back years, and ranked 19 in the country in assists per game this past season with 5.4 per game. Her ability to fill the state sheet was noticeable as she ranked in the top 20 in the Ivy League in seven different statistical categories which included assists per game, assist to turnover ratio, minutes per game, three pointers per-game, steals per game, points per game, and rebounds per game. Heading into her final season, she has a high possibility of becoming a 1,000 point scorer if she continues on pace of averaging in double figures for the third straight season.

But even bigger than basketball, Clark has remained a dedicated student. She’s nearing the completion of her sociology degree and has plans to potentially study for a master’s degree in accounting. Simultaneously, she would plan to become a graduate assistant coach to help make this chapter in her educational journey more affordable. However, there is also the possibility that she may chase professional basketball. There’s no debate Clark has the talent to use the game to make a living as an athlete, but it’s sometimes not always the goal of every player to travel the world and leave the country they’ve known their entire life behind. No matter what decision she makes around this time next year, it will be one that is well researched and thought about.

For now, Jenna Clark is focused on helping Yale elevate this program to a new level. She’s already done so through her consistent play. One of her top moments in her career that will probably always stand out is snapping a long streak of not winning at Harvard as the Bulldogs knocked off the Crimson for the first time at Harvard in 11 years earlier this year. She’s also helped the Bulldogs to multiple postseason berths in the Ivy League Tournament and hopes to make it a third time in her senior season.

It’s taken a village of people to get Jenna Clark to this time in her life. From family and friends to coaches and trainers, there’s a laundry list of people who’ve helped Jenna Clark make Division I basketball a reality. Some of them even are symbolized or show up in her over 20 tattoos and counting. These folks know exactly who they are. “If you’ve impacted my life, I want you to know that I genuinely appreciate it. Those connections and people have changed my life and made me a better communicator, leader, player, and person. I’ve had some people who have been tough on me, but I am entirely grateful for those times and those people,” she said.