Clifford made a fast start to life at Lightning when, having joined from Harlequins in 2022, she made a try-scoring debut against Wasps in September of that year.

Her abundant qualities as a tighthead prop saw her attract interest from England age grade selectors, going on to shine for England Under-20s and earn a Red Roses transitional contract. 

Her rapid ascent was stunted by a road traffic collision in January 204 that saw her suffer a broken pelvis, a dislocated hip and break bones in her back. A long period of rehabilitation, which included a further unrelated injury setback, finally came to an end a year-and-a-half later playing for England U20 in the summer of 2025 – an occasion she marked with a try.

This was followed by her return to action for Lightning in the PWR: The Cup game against Sale Sharks in August 2025, in what was her first Loughborough game in 812 days.