The Secret to Caitlin Clark’s Shooting Power

When Caitlin Clark, the 22-year-old University of Iowa point guard, lines up against the University of Connecticut team on Friday night, she will most likely shoot the ball from far past the 3-point line. Then, against all odds and all coaching philosophies, she is likely to do so again, and again, and again. Whoever is unlucky enough to try to defend her is left to do little but shrug.

How does she do it, beyond having a once-in-a-generation type of talent? She trains aggressively, and for endurance. Her muscles must be able to withstand quick bursts of speed and agility and have the power needed to propel her skyward for her signature logo, or half-court, shots. They also need to be strong enough to sustain those quick motions for the entirety of a high-stress game without growing too fatigued to function. And she needs mental resilience to maintain that level of play without losing confidence or focus when things aren’t going smoothly.

Many of those skills are built in the gym with Lindsay Alexander, the associate strength and conditioning coach for Iowa’s women’s basketball team. Ms. Alexander is focused on a single question: “How do we make a more durable athlete?”

The answer is a combination of conditioning, aerobic work and plyometrics, a group of exercises that use rapid movements to build muscle power. Players do squats and deadlifts, and use a bench press to improve their upper-body and core strength. Ms. Alexander focuses particularly on strengthening players’ legs, which are especially important for shooting.

She also works with Ms. Clark and other players to enhance their cardiovascular health by doing drills known as intervals or tempo runs: Players run at hard paces and then take short breaks to recover. Over time, this kind of training makes it easier for their bodies to recover quickly from high-intensity activity.

“You’ve got to practice how you play,” Ms. Alexander said. “We practice up-tempo, fast-paced, hard basketball, so that’s how I view the weight room and the conditioning piece. I use that space to make them ready for practice, ready to be able to do it over and over again.”