University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... Haley Clark
November 10, 2016 | Women's Basketball
In the above video, Hunkerdown Productions put together an exclusive feature on Haley Clark.
By John Frierson
UGAAA Staff Writer
Georgia women's basketball point guard Haley Clark can't get enough pizza. She's like a Ninja Turtle that way.
The junior from Orlando, Fla., was Marjorie Butler's backup at the point for most of the past two seasons, but late last season, following Shacobia Barbee's season-ending injury, Clark moved to shooting guard for the postseason. She started in the Lady Bulldogs' NCAA tournament first-round loss to Notre Dame, her only start of the season, and hit three of four shots.
With Butler, Barbee, Tiara Griffin and Merritt Hempe -- all starters as seniors last season -- gone from the squad, Clark will play a much bigger role this season on the court and in the locker room. The Lady Bulldogs open their season Friday night against South Carolina State at Stegeman Coliseum.
On Wednesday, Clark sat down for a quick chat about pizza, coach Joni Taylor's new baby, lessons learned and much more. Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: What's something from your childhood that you really miss?
Clark: That would have to be playing with my cousins. I miss the time I had to spend with my cousins growing up and playing in the mud and making mud pies and playing with Barbies and stuff like that.
Frierson: What's the most creative thing you do? Or what's something creative you wish you could do?
Clark: I don't really consider myself a creative person. My sister kind of took those genes from me. I wish I could paint, I definitely wish I could paint.
Frierson: Who's the most creative person on the team?
Clark: I would say [Caliya Robinson], she draws well, she paints well, she has a creative mind.
Frierson: What do you do during the quiet times, away from basketball and school?
Clark: I am a big Netflix person. If I'm not doing homework and I'm not playing basketball and I'm not asleep, I'm more than likely watching Netflix.
Frierson: Can you five me a couple of recommendations?
Clark: Currently I'm watching "The Crown." I'm not sure how that is, I'm on episode one. I've watched "Prison Break" and so many others that I couldn't even name them all. The one I most enjoyed was "Prison Break," it was one of the ones that got me like, wow, Netflix is cool.
Frierson: If you could have one meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Clark: Pizza -- pepperoni pizza. I can eat that every day. In high school I actually did eat pizza for lunch every day from freshman year to senior year.
Frierson: Do you now have a bit more refined taste in pizza?
Clark: No, I can pretty much eat almost any kind of pizza. I don't get to eat it as much because we have the training table and they feed us often, so I don't eat pizza as much as I used to. But I love it.
Frierson: What's something that so many years of playing sports and being part of a team has taught you and will help you for the rest of your life?
Clark: I would say just knowing how to work with and manage and understand people. I've been playing since second grade, so I've been on a team since second grade, which means I've come across so many people and so many types of teammates, and I've learned how to talk with different people, how to bond with them -- people my age, at least.
Frierson: Who on the team makes you laugh the hardest?
Clark: I would say [Shanea Armbrister]. Shanea's pretty funny; she has like a dry sense of humor and is just kind of being herself. She doesn't try to be funny, but she's really funny.
Frierson: Nine months ago you find out that Joni is pregnant, you see her get bigger and bigger, then last week she has a daughter. What's all that been like for you and the team? Have you all seen her, held her, what's going on?
Clark: I know most of us have seen her. I know when we found out she was going into labor [last Thursday] we were actually at breakfast with Coach Chelsea [Newton]. She was like, "Joni's in labor!" And we were like, "What?" And we thought it was a joke. Eventually we were like, "Can we go to the hospital?" and she told us that we had to go to class.
We went to class, went to practice and then a couple of days after we all went to see her. She's adorable, she's so precious.
Frierson: Is there already a list for who is babysitting when?
Clark: I think the main babysitters will probably be Caliya or [Mackenzie Engram]. I think we all like kids, but they're the ones that really like babies, for sure.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
Players Mentioned
