Win the Game of Patient Care Through Confidence and Teamwork | ASHP Midyear 2025

Health care is as much of a team sport as soccer or basketball. There are many members—clinicians, nurses, specialized providers, and pharmacists—who are all working toward one clear goal: improving patient outcomes.

At the American Society for Health-System Pharmacists Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition 2025 Opening Session, Caitlin Clark, a guard for the Indiana Fever in the Women’s National Basketball Association, gave some insight into how she views teamwork and confidence. Much like with sports, teamwork and confidence are staples in the pharmacy profession.

Clark detailed a conversation she had with a sports psychologist when she played basketball with the Iowa Hawkeyes, stating that the psychologist asked why she gets so frustrated when playing. She said that she expects her teammates to do one thing, and the psychologist replied, “Why do you expect them to do something?” She said through that conversation, she learned that believing in her teammates and showing them how successful they can all be together was crucial.

“I grew up playing just about every sport,” Clark said. “There weren’t many girls’ teams.”

She grew up as a middle child between an older and younger brother, and even when she was young, she always showed support for her teammates. She grew up watching women’s sports, which became her favorite nights of the week, and by middle school, she knew she wanted to pursue basketball. She tried many sports, Clark said.

“Everyone specializes at such a young age, but I think that’s why I became so good at basketball,” Clark said. “I tried a lot of different things.”

She said that she still loves soccer, but when she committed to college basketball, she could not pursue it as adamantly. But the experiences she had trying different things, including things besides sports like playing piano, helped her meet a lot of different people with different backgrounds.

“I think it all starts with relationships,” she said. “I don’t think you can be a good team without knowing the people you are working with.”

She said that she has been very intentional about getting to know her teammates and acknowledging that everyone comes from different backgrounds. She finds that by maintaining and building relationships, she can also build trust with her team. She stated that one of the most powerful things a leader can do is build up their team and try to learn and understand them.

One of the moments that she went back to was when she decided to go to the University of Iowa (UI). Notre Dame University had offered her a scholarship and it was one of her dream schools to play for, but she remained open to other schools. Ultimately, she wanted to be near her family and friends and wanted to be closer to home. She stated that UI hadn’t been to the Final Four since 1982, which she took as a challenge. She wanted to get there with the team, but there was one problem: she and her coach at the time were the only ones who believed in that goal. She had to work to get her team to believe in the dream as well.

“Basketball is a team sport,” she said. “Some nights, I just didn’t have it, but that’s why there’s 4 other people.”

She added that confidence is key, not only for the team but for yourself as well. And not every moment is going to be a winning moment.

For many sports, the transition from college to professional leagues has some buffer time for the athlete to get ready for the new team, but for the WNBA, Clark said she had to leave school early and figure out how to navigate finishing her college degree, a new city, and a new team all at the same time.

“That’s always just life,” she said. “Everyone goes through periods like that.”

She said that these difficult and challenging moments are the moments that make someone better. She said they are teaching moments. When she was injured in this past season, she really took the time to reevaluate what she can do as a player. She said that even when she was injured, she tried to meet younger fans because they didn’t care how many points she scored or if she was playing, they were just focused on meeting someone who inspired them.

Even when there are unexpected and challenging moments, Clark finds a way to continue to help more people and continue to inspire more people. She said she tries to make as much time to impact people each day and take the time for people.

However, she said that she was always confident in her ability to lead, but there were times when she would question herself. She said it goes back to confidence. “You have to find a way to believe that you are meant to be here,” she said.

Bringing the conversation back to pharmacy, Clark offered a pep talk for attendees.

“[Pharmacy is] obviously similar to sports, but I want to remind you guys that you help people,” she said. “I just throw a ball into hoops and you guys save people’s lives.”

READ MORE: ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition

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REFERENCES

Hammonds W, Huneycutt C. Bridging Gaps in Care: The Growing Role of Clinical Pharmacy Technicians. ASHP Midyear Clinical Meeting and Exhibition 2025. December 7-10, 2025. Las Vegas, Nevada.