Remember back in May 2024 when Cooper DeJean had to clear the air on the whole Caitlin Clark one-on-one thing? On Up and Adams when Kay Adams asked him if he really thought he could beat Clark, “Yeah, I mean, I used to play basketball,” DeJean told her. Simple as that. No beef. No shade. Just a guy backing his game, and showing love to one of the best women’s basketball players on the planet.
The clip made waves, especially after DeJean revealed that Caitlin herself texted him: “She doesn’t think I could beat her.” DeJean didn’t flinch; he laughed it off and even said he’d love to make the game happen. But he also reminded folks he’s not kidding. He used to hoop. Seriously. Kay even rolled his basketball highlights mid-show. “Oh shoot,” she said, watching him dunk and pull up jumpers like he was ready to check into a Big Ten game.
Fast-forward one year, and Cooper’s still throwing it down, this time off an alley-oop from Saquon Barkley. Yeah, you read that right. During a team-building run at the Palestra, Philly’s own temple of hoops, DeJean soared through the air and hammered home a dunk that made the Eagles’ social team hit send without blinking. The video? 1.4 million views in 24 hours. Let’s just say, if Caitlin’s watching, she might want to lace ‘em up soon.
Cooper DeJean might be the GREATEST white athlete of all time.
He had to be created in a lab pic.twitter.com/wRwabunYPX
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) May 23, 2025
Now, let’s zoom out. The Eagles are clearly onto something with these multi-sport guys. Jalen Carter, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson—they’ve all got basketball in their blood. DeJean? He was an AAU standout, a four-sport letterman, and a state champ in track. Emporia State even offered him a basketball scholarship before Iowa football came calling.
And Saquon? He’s not just jumping over defenders anymore. We are talking about him tossing alley-oops under his leg. The whole clip looked like something out of NBA Street Vol. 2. DeJean caught it mid-air and slammed it home like he was answering Kay’s question all over again. “You don’t think I could?” Well, now you do.
So if you’re wondering whether Cooper DeJean could hang with Caitlin Clark on the court; he’s still waiting for that invite. Until then, he’s busy throwing it down in Philly, one dunk at a time. You just hope someone’s recording when that showdown finally happens.
From Trash Talk to text messages: Caitlin Clark and Cooper DeJean
You win a Super Bowl on your 22nd birthday, return a pick-six on the biggest stage, and become a Philly legend overnight—what happens next? For Cooper DeJean, his phone lit up with a message from someone who knows a thing or two about high-pressure games: Caitlin Clark. Yeah, the one he’s wanting to face in a 1-v-1 for a year. The one with the WNBA logo almost accidentally carved into her jump shot. Turns out, Iowa roots run deeper than conference banners and one-on-one jokes.
“She was just saying she’s proud of me,” DeJean shared on The Pivot. You could hear it in his voice—respect, maybe a little disbelief. Because let’s not forget, Clark’s a die-hard Chiefs fan. Like, she was probably pacing her living room in red and gold when DeJean snatched that game-sealing INT from Mahomes and sent Philly fans into orbit. And yet, there she was. Reaching out. Showing love. DeJean added, “It was cool to get that message from her.”
But this isn’t just about one text or one game. It’s two athletes, same college, now owning their professional stages. DeJean’s soaking in a dream rookie season that ended with a ring. Meanwhile, Clark was prepping to launch into her sophomore WNBA campaign after a rookie year that broke records and algorithms alike. And somewhere in between, they’re still repping Iowa like it’s stitched into their cleats.
Now, ask yourself—if you’re a young athlete getting recruited out of Iowa high schools, who better to look up to? One’s slamming alley-oops in Eagles practice, the other’s pulling up from the logo in packed WNBA arenas. Choose your warrior, wisely, for when they battle it out against each other.
The post Caitlin Clark Beware as Eagles’ Cooper DeJean Stuns With Insane Basketball Skills Alongside Saquon Barkley appeared first on EssentiallySports.
