Alysha Clark answers questions at the Dallas Wings Media Day on Monday, April 27, 2026 at College Park Center in Arlington. (Photo: Mason Garcia | The Podium Finish)
Authors note: This story is combined from the 2026 Dallas Wings media day and an unpublished interview from 2022.
ARLINGTON, Texas — New Dallas Wings forward Alysha Clark sat on the podium at College Park Center waiting for members of the media to ask questions about her decision to sign and what she can bring to the revamped squad.
WNBA fans affectionately know Clark as “The Eraser”; a nickname given to her during the WNBA “Wubble” season in 2020 during the Seattle Storm‘s campaign for Defensive Player of the Year. The award was given to the Los Angeles Sparks superstar Candace Parker. Clark earned 11 votes to Parker’s 16. She was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
To the surprise of almost everyone in the room, they found out that Clark is a proud dual American-Israeli citizen. Once the word shalom, translated to hello, came out before a question, a smile and sense of pride came out of the Israeli’s response. Little did people know her journey of signing with a team in Israel would open up a new world for the defensive star.
Clark was drafted to the now defunct San Antonio Silver Stars with the 17th overall pick in the second round. She did not make her WNBA debut until the Storm picked her up in 2012. As many WNBA players do, she opted to play overseas.
She ventured from the United States to Israel where she suited up for Hapoel Rishon LeZion from 2010-2011.
“My agent told me about [playing in Israel],” said Clark. “When you play overseas, it’s like college where they reach out to your agent and be like, we want to sign her. Tanisha Wright played over there before so my agent reached out and said a team in Israel wants to sign you, it’s a great first transition to going overseas. I said, ‘Okay, let’s do it.'”
Alysha Clark contests Teaira McCowan’s shot in the Seattle Storm’s win over the Dallas Wings on Monday, May 19, 2025 at College Park Center. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
The Car Ride
After a Eurocup game, Clark was riding back with her teammates Rivka Ross and Keren Nehama when they were teaching her how to count to 10. It was the first month in the Hebrew calendar, so her teammates wanted to educate her on some of the Hebrew language. Who would have thought that car ride and basic Hebrew lesson would change the trajectory of her life and open up a new door in her identity.
“While in the car, I was on the phone with my mom telling her the story. I told her that I could count to 10 in Hebrew now. She told me I needed to call my grandpa and talk to him. I said, ‘To count to 10? That’s all I know!'” said Clark. “I knew he was Jewish and we’d call and wish them a Happy Pesach [Passover] and Happy Hanukkah. I personally didn’t grow up with any Jewish customs, so this was an exciting discovery for me.”
After she hung up, the car almost came to an abrupt stop. No one expected Clark to have any semblance of Jewish DNA in her. Clark was born and raised a Christian, so no one had any reason to suspect she had Jewish ancestry. The majority of Americans who play overseas in Israel are not Jewish. When her teammates heard Clark’s mom say that she needed to call her grandpa, everyone burst with excitement.
The rapid-fire questions started to come.
“‘What do you mean your grandfather’s Jewish? Mah Zeh? (What is this?) No! No!’,” Clark recounted.
In Israeli terms, when someone says, “No! No!”, it means they’re excited and in disbelief. They just discovered a new member of the mishpacha (family) by sheer coincidence. Who knew counting from 1-10, 1. Achat, 2. Shtayim, 3. Shalosh, 4. Arba, 5. Khamesh, 6. Shesh, 7. Sheva, 8. Shmoneh, 9. Tesha, 10. Eser, would open up a whole new world.
Alysha Clark contests Maddy Siegrist’s shot in the Seattle Storm’s win over the Dallas Wings on Monday, May 19, 2025 at College Park Center. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
The Road to Israeli Citizenship
The path to gaining Israeli citizenship is not cookie cutter. There are a lot of obstacles and hoops to go through in order to be granted citizenship.
In Jewish law, also known as Halakha, an individual must have at least one Jewish grandparent to be eligible for citizenship. In the Law of Return of 1950, the Orthodox definition of traditional Halakha for citizenship consists of just the maternal side. In 1970, it was amended so non-Halakhik individuals, or patrilineal Jews, were eligible for citizenship. Clark’s maternal grandparents are both Jewish.
At no fault of her own, Clark had no idea she was able to gain Israeli citizenship and get an Israeli passport. When you are not raised in the Jewish community, you are not really aware of the Law of Return. Many Jews who discover their heritage later in life, whether it be through DNA tests, playing a sport in Israel or a multitude of other paths, the process of wanting to learn about their life and gain more opportunities starts to ramp up.
“I called my agent and we went through all the steps to get me a citizenship. We had to go through a lot of steps, and a rabbi had to confirm to Israel that I am Jewish. Ramat Hasharon signed me and helped me gain an Israeli citizenship and an opportunity to play on Team Israel,” recalled Clark.
Representing Israel
After Clark gained Israeli citizenship, she became eligible to represent Israel on the national stage. She suited up in the blue and white for both the 2016 and 2019 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket Qualifiers.
“In the process of gaining my citizenship, I always wanted to represent Israel on the international stage. I knew I wasn’t going to have the opportunity to play for Team USA so I was like, ‘What can I do that would be just as special?’ The way the players and really everyone in Israel welcomed me with open arms after I got my citizenship really made me want to represent my heritage,” said Clark.
Originally, Clark had to have the tough conversations about not being able to play for Team Israel due to WNBA obligations. When FIBA moved their windows from November-February, she had the opportunity to play for her country.
“I knew this would be a huge honor for me. They welcomed me with open arms to be able to play on the national team. That, for me, was one of my proudest moments, just to be able to represent Israel. Hopefully, I represented Israel well and continue to do so,” said Clark.
Alysha Clark drives past Maddy Siegrist in the Seattle Storm’s win over the Dallas Wings on Monday, May 19, 2025 at College Park Center. (Photo: Dylan Nadwodny | The Podium Finish)
Embracing Her Identity in the WNBA
In 2021, Clark joined the organization Athletes Against Antisemitism and participated in an event centered around the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh. She participated, alongside Sue Bird, in a panel entitled Athletes Allyship and Tikkun Olam. Tikkun Olam translates to repairing the world.
Clark uses her nationality and identity in order to open up conversations and connect with people who both share her heritage or do not know much about the Israeli and Jewish communities.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has a population of around 80,000 Jewish individuals. There are six kosher restaurants that Clark, a self-defined foodie, can enjoy while traveling back to Israel in her mind.
“That’s something I love about being in big cities is just the diversity that’s around and just being able to experience different cultures and all the great foods that I’m going to get to experience. I think this is something that I’m really looking forward to. It’s super exciting to have that diversity here for sure,” said Clark.
From an opportunity to play overseas in Israel 15 years ago, a car ride with her Israeli teammates, surprising everyone with her ability to count in Hebrew, a conversation with her mom and grandpa and the long road to proudly representing Israel, Clark embraces her nationality as a way to connect with her family’s heritage.
“I think it gave me an opportunity to get in touch with my heritage. My grandfather’s Jewish and just having that heritage allowed me to explore that part of my family. It was really special for me at the time and just being able to learn and connect with people that grew up [Jewish]…we didn’t grow up that way, but just again, finding a way to connect with my family heritage was really special,” said Clark.
Clark is the only Israeli in the WNBA this season. Yarden Garzon signed as an undrafted free agent with the Phoenix Mercury but was cut. Being the sole Israeli, Clark has a unique opportunity to use her diverse identity as a way to make everyone feel included. With a team as diverse as the Wings, Clark is able to connect with her teammates in a special way.
“Having that diversity within my own family allows me to kind of be able to relate to anyone. It helps gives me the ability to help everyone feel included and valued. That’s something I’m extremely grateful to my parents. I got to grow up in a household that made people feel seen and valued in that way. As a leader, that’s what I try to emulate every day.”
