University of Georgia Athletics
Catching Up with Haley Clark
October 26, 2020 | Women's Basketball
The University of Georgia women's basketball program has created strong leaders on, and off, of the basketball court. The qualities that Haley Clark has created during her time wearing red and black have carried over into her professional life today. While in Athens, she earned both a bachelors and masters while receiving awards like the SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year and the Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Athlete of the Year. Now, post-basketball her main focus is being successful as a financial analyst in Atlanta. Georgia Athletics caught up with Clark, looked back on her time as a Lady Bulldog and where she is today.
Olivia Puttin: Prior to your career with the Lady Bulldogs, you were ranked among the best young point guards in the country. This achievement probably came with a lot of offers from different schools. Why did you decide to attend and play basketball at the University of Georgia?
Haley Clark: "I was sold on coach Landers. I came to the school and fell in love with the campus. For me, it came down to if they had to my degree, which was finance and Terry was a great school. Honestly, it was coach Landers though, I wanted to play for a Hall of Fame coach and become the player he could make me."
OP: Coach Joni Taylor's first year as head coach was your sophomore year. What was it like to play under her and how did she impact your life after basketball?
HC: "I see Joni as a motherly figure, the qualities she has are ones I aspire to carry over into my life. The way she presents herself, how she interacts with different groups of people, the way she juggles coaching while raising her two daughters and being a wife. Things like that have really painted a portrait for me to look at as I take on life to shape and help me be who I want to be outside of sports."
During your senior year, you went 26-7, started all 33 games and hosted NCAA Regionals in Athens. How did it feel to experience that with your teammates?
HC: "It was surreal, my four years at Georgia were crazy. Coming back senior year and bringing back the prestige and being able to play on that platform, it was surreal. In the midst of doing it, I didn't realize what we were doing and how great it was for the program. Looking back on it now, I'm in awe. Myself, the seniors and the others who were on the team, we're proud of it. It's not something everybody gets to do. Only a few teams get to host, so it's something I'm really proud of."
OP: Do you have a favorite moment with the Lady Bulldogs?
HC: "Hosting the tournament and going to Italy. It was my first time leaving the United States and experiencing a different culture with my teammates. It was my first step into adulthood as well, it was a really awesome combination of experiences that year."
OP: What was it like going to Italy with your team and did it change your perspective on anything?
HC: "It was a basketball trip, but I would say the basketball part was a little more flexible than it usually is. We had practices and a few games, but a majority of the time we were exploring. We got to see Rome, Venice and a few other cities as well. We were doing a lot of touristy things while playing basketball at the same time. It definitely changed my perspective of the world, growing up in this country we kind of think that's all there is. Going on the plane, passing over so much of the world, getting there and seeing a whole new culture makes you realize that there is so much more than what we know."
OP: You were named the 2018 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year. What did it take to achieve that and how did it feel to win that award?
HC: "In terms of what it took, it was discipline. I'm the type of person that wants to be the best at whatever I do and I don't like to disappoint people and I knew I had my coaches and parents looking at my grades. It was that self-drive, lots of late nights, I'm not a coffee person so I would eat candy to stay up. Sacrificing social life, I was just trying to be the best me that I could be."
OP: Another award you received was the Arthur Ashe Jr. Female Athlete of the Year. What did it mean to receive this award and all that it stands for?
HC: "I remember getting the call saying that I had an interview for it. It was one of those things where I went, 'wait, what? Me?' It meant a lot, it surprised me that I was getting acknowledged at that level and from Arthur Ashe, someone a lot of black kids look up to and aspire to be. Just to be able to receive that I was excited, humbled, grateful and proud."
OP: During your time at Georgia, you graduated with a bachelors and masters degree. How did being a student-athlete help you achieve those accomplishments?
HC: "Discipline, time management, dedication, sacrifice. Being able to get through difficult moments, if I can get through sprints I can get through studying. Those little things translated from my sport to my discipline in the classroom."
OP: Is there anything you took away from your time as a Georgia Bulldog that impacts your life today?
HC: "The importance of relationships, while we're playing all we care about is basketball, but during that time you're building and nurturing relationships with your teammates. Being able to impact people, but also allowing people to impact you."
OP: What have you been up to since you've graduated? New job? Where are you living?
HC: "Since graduating, I got an internship at WestRock and ended up getting a full-time offer. So I went back to Georgia and relaxed, was a normal student and had some fun with Simone Costa, who was also there at the time. After, I came back to the company full-time. Their corporate office is in Atlanta, so I'm there. With the remote working I go back and forth between here and Orlando to see my parents, right now I'm in New Orleans visiting my sister, but I'm in Atlanta working as a Financial Analyst. Just enjoying life post-athletics and improving my professional career."
OP: Do you still follow the Lady Bulldogs and are you excited to watch them this year?
HC: "Yes, I'm excited to see how the team meshes together and implements new systems. I keep up with Gabby [Connally], Coach Joni, [Robert] Mosley and Meredith [Mitchell]. I'm looking forward to how the team ties together and plays out."
OP: Is there a message you have for the current Lady Bulldogs who are following in your same footsteps?
HC: "Savor the moments, because once you move past them you can't get them back. Be appreciative for everything the University of Georgia does for you. I've talked to athletes who have come from different schools and Georgia is top to none, they really care about us and give us the best. Looking past today, we get caught up in our playing time and practice, but focus on who you are as a person. At the end of the day, the game will come and go but who you are as an individual, in your faith, your character and integrity are things you can carry with you the rest of your life."
OP: Lastly, what makes the University of Georgia so special?
HC: "The people. They care about you and want to see you succeed and want to give you the best opportunities. I can truly say from my experience at Georgia, they have the best people. The brand that the university has, not many schools can compare to."
