Teagan Kavan-Caitlin Clark connection: What to know of Texas ace, basketball star
In just two years' time, Teagan Kavan has quickly written herself into being one of the top pitchers to take the circle at the Women's College World Series.
The sophomore right-hander, who has been playing with a heavy heart, has helped pitch Texas softball to back-to-back WCWS championship series while posting a 2-0 record with a 0.41 ERA in three WCWS games this season. Indeed, it is the first time in program history the Longhorns have made consecutive appearances in the best-of-three championship series.
A series win against Texas Tech would put Kavan and Texas over the hump to win their first WCWS championship trophy in program history. The last team to win its first national championship in the WCWS was Florida State, in 2018.
Her successes also follow a similar path to another notable athlete with whom she has ties, someone who's from the same city in Iowa, no less: former Iowa basketball star and Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark.
Here's what you need to know about the relationship between Kavan and Clark:
What is the connection between Teagan Kavan and Caitlin Clark?
The Longhorns ace and 2025 WNBA Rookie of the Year both hail from West Des Moines, Iowa. In an April 2 interview with D1Softball, Kavan mentioned she and Clark lived a few blocks away from each other and had some overlap in high school at Dowling Catholic.
"It's very cool," Kavan told D1Softball. "We grew up really close to each other.
"She took me to basketball practice my freshman year summer, and it's really cool we have that connection."
Kavan, who didn't play softball at Dowling Catholic, said that she hasn't stayed in touch with Clark much since she went to Iowa. However, Kavan was appreciative of their connection, especially considering Clark's role in expanding the popularity of women's sports.
"It's really cool to see ... everything she has done for women's sport," Kavan said. "I think it's fun we have this Iowa tie because there's a lot of Iowa pride and a lot of Midwest pride that comes out of both of us. I like representing our home state and we can show girls from Iowa and the Midwest that they can dream whatever dream they have and they can make it wherever they want to do."
For her part, Clark has said she keeps tabs on Kavan. During the WCWS last season, Clark gave a shoutout to Kavan in a postgame interview following one of the Fever's games in the WNBA.
"I had the women's college softball World Series on instead," Clark said after Indiana's win over the Washington Mystics in 2024. "There's a girl that pitches for Texas who's a freshman that actually lived a couple streets over from me growing up."
Teagan Kavan high school
Kavan attended Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, where she was a highly touted recruit coming out of high school playing for Iowa Premier Fastpitch. Extra Innings Softball had Kavan tied for the No. 11 prospect in the 2023 recruiting class, while Perfect Game had her as the No. 5 overall prospect in its Top 50 list of 2023 recruits.
Kavan committed to Texas in 2021, choosing the Longhorns over 50 other Division I programs.
Teagan Kavan stats at Texas
Kavan brings a 26-5 overall record and a 2.33 ERA in 192 2/3 innings of work into the WCWS championship series against Texas Tech. The 6-foot right-hander has struck out a career-high 224 batters this season, which ranks 15th in among all Division I pitchers.
In Texas' WCWS semifinal win against Tennessee on Monday, Kavan scored her fourth save of the season with three scoreless innings of relief. Kavan is 2-0 in the WCWS this season, while 4-1 in six career WCWS games.
Here's a game-by-game breakdown of Kavan's stats at the WCWS this year:
- vs. No. 3 Florida: 7 innings, 1 strikeout, 2 hits, 2 walks
- vs. No. 2 Oklahoma: 7 innings, 8 strikeouts, 7 hits, 2 walks, 2 runs
- vs. No. 7 Tennessee: 3 innings, 2 strikeouts, 1 walk
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