WWE legend Mick Foley has found himself swept up in the whirlwind surrounding Iowa women's basketball star Caitlin Clark, a phenomenon the three-time WWE Champion dubbed “#CaitlinMania.”

Foley, known for his hardcore wrestling style and iconic personas such as Mankind, Cactus Jack and Dude Love, has unexpectedly become one of Clark's most ardent fans, planning to take a 1,500-mile road trip to witness her magic on the court firsthand in Iowa's game against Indiana on Feb. 22. All eyes have been on Clark as she nears breaking the all-time NCAA women's basketball scoring record – she is just 66 points shy of Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527 points. 

In a Facebook post from Foley, he said his fascination with Clark began during her sophomore season, drawn in by her long-range shooting skills featured on ESPN's SportsCenter. His interest quickly evolved as he delved into YouTube to watch more of her games, becoming increasingly impressed not just by her scoring ability but by her overall basketball IQ—her knack for driving the lane, setting up teammates, and her exceptional court vision.

“Although my schedule prohibited me from catching Caitlin’s epic march to the #NCAA finals in 2023, I have become far more engaged and proactive in this 2023/2024 season. I have been checking out the Iowa women’s schedule regularly, watching the games I’m home for and recording the ones when I’m away,” Foley said in his Facebook post. “Then … the indisputable evidence that CaitlinMania is running wild, brother: I purchased a single ticket (at a significant after-market mark-up) for Iowa’s February 22nd away game against Indiana. Growing up as a diehard IU men’s hoops fan (I even wrote a poem about the Hoosiers 1976 NCAA victory) attending an IU game at Assembly Hall was stuff of which bucket lists are made. On February 22nd, that childhood dream comes true!”

According to Foley, he spent $240 on the tickets, anticipates spending $200 in gas driving to the game and spending $150 on a hotel. However, for Foley, getting to watch Caitlin Clark is “priceless.”