Jaylen Clark
American basketball player (born 2001) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jaylen Bryce Clark[1] (born October 13, 2001[2][3]) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the UCLA Bruins of the Pac-12 Conference, earning national honors as both the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year and NABC Defensive Player of the Year as a junior in 2023, when he was also voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year. A two-time Pac-12 All-Defensive Team selection, Clark was named second-team All-Pac-12 as well that year. He was selected by the Timberwolves in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft.
Clark with UCLA in 2021 | |
| No. 22 – Minnesota Timberwolves | |
|---|---|
| Position | Shooting guard |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | October 13, 2001 Riverside, California, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Listed weight | 205 lb (93 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | |
| College | UCLA (2020–2023) |
| NBA draft | 2023: 2nd round, 53rd overall pick |
| Selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Playing career | 2023–present |
| Career history | |
| 2023–present | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 2023–2025 | →Iowa Wolves |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
Early life and high school career
Clark was born in Riverside, California.[1] His father, who played one season of basketball at Modesto Junior College, was an elite perimeter defender.[4] Clark attended Centennial High School in Corona for three years before transferring to Etiwanda High in Rancho Cucamonga for his senior year.[5][6] Under Etiwanda coach David Kleckner, a defensive specialist, he developed into a two-way player who played unselfishly.[7][8] Clark averaged 18.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game at Etiwanda, and led the Eagles to the CIF Southern Section Open Division regional finals.[1][9] He signed a national letter of intent to play with UCLA in 2020.[10]
College career
Summarize
Perspective
In his freshman year at the University of California, Los Angeles, in 2020–21, Clark was a reserve and averaged 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds in nine minutes per game for the Bruins.[11] He made the game-winning free throw in an 80–79 win over Arizona State at home in Pauley Pavilion.[11][12] In the 2021 NCAA tournament, UCLA unexpectedly advanced to the Final Four.[13] Clark helped lead a 14-point comeback in the First Four with a layup, a pair of assists, and an offensive rebound in an 86–80 overtime win over Michigan State.[13][14] He had a season-high nine rebounds in 18 minutes in an overtime victory over second-seeded Alabama in the Sweet Sixteen.[1][11][15]
As a sophomore in 2021–22, Clark missed six games in January and February due to multiple concussions. Playing off the bench, he was named to the Pac-12 All-Defensive Team.[16] He averaged 6.7 points and 3.8 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game.[17][18] In the nine games in which he played 20 or more minutes, Clark averaged 11.4 points and 5.6 rebounds.[19] In February, during a three-game span versus Washington State, Washington, and Arizona State, he averaged 19.7 points, making 3 of 8 on 3-pointers, and added 8.3 rebounds and 2.7 steals.[4][16] According to UCLA head coach Mick Cronin, "With consistent minutes, you’re going to see him produce a lot more on the offensive end".[16]
Clark became a full-time starter in his junior year in 2022–23 after Johnny Juzang and Jules Bernard departed.[18][20] In the Bruins' season opener, he scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting and had seven steals in a win over Sacramento State.[21] In the regular season finale against Arizona, he suffered a right Achilles tendon rupture and was ruled out for the 2023 Pac-12 tournament.[17][22] The top-seeded Bruins advanced to the tournament finals, before losing 61–59 to No. 2-seed Arizona.[23] UCLA, who was vying for a No. 1 seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament,[23] received a No. 2 seed in the West Region, but Clark was ruled out for the season.[24] He underwent surgery three days after the injury.[25] The Bruins lost in the Sweet Sixteen to Gonzaga, with an injured Adem Bona also missing the game for UCLA.[26] Clark averaged 2.6 steals per game during the season, which led the Pac-12 and ranked fourth in the nation.[15][27] One of the top defensive players in the country,[28] he won the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Award, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches named him their defensive player of the year.[15] Voted the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year,[27] he was selected again to the conference's all-defensive team, and was also named second-team All-Pac-12.[29] Clark significantly improved on offense and became UCLA's second-leading scorer.[20][27] He nearly doubled his scoring from the previous season,[28] averaging 13.0 points, six rebounds and 1.9 assists in 30.5 minutes over 30 games.[20][27] After the season, he declared for the NBA draft. The timetable for his recovery was estimated to be 8–10 months.[15][25]
Professional career
Minnesota Timberwolves (2023–present)
Clark was selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round of the 2023 NBA draft with the 53rd overall pick.[30] On July 7, 2023, he signed a two-way contract with the Timberwolves,[31] and aimed to return to play around the middle or late in the season.[32] On March 28, 2024, he was transferred to the Iowa Wolves of the G League for rehab.[33] Clark played in the 2024 NBA Summer League, his first games since he tore his Achilles.[34] On February 27, 2025, the Timberwolves announced that they had signed Clark to a standard two-year contract.[35]
Career statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
Source:[36]
References
External links
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