For years, the WNBA has been looking for its Michael Jordan —someone who could elevate the league to the next level. Well, many believe that Caitlin Clark will be that player for the league, and so far, the prediction has turned out to be correct.
After a phenomenal career at the NCAA with the Indiana Fever, Clark unsurprisingly became the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Since entering the league, Clark’s presence has ballooned the viewership of the WNBA.
Clark and co. were on an extended hiatus due to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Although the young superstar was surprisingly left off the roster, she reminded the world of her greatness in the Indiana Fever vs. Phoenix Mercury clash.
Clark was exhausted in the matchup
Clark and Fever featured in a WNBA game after almost a month. Although Caitlin must be carrying out her routine training, playing in a high-intensity matchup after a gap can take its toll.
The 22-year-old didn’t hide her tiredness in the postgame conference after leading the Fever to a stunning 98-89 win over Mercury.
“I called for a sub six minutes in, if I’m being honest. I was like, holy cow, “ Clark said. “ I need a quick minute here because we were playing fast and then my defense isn’t as good. So just got to get a second to breathe. But getting back in game shape has been pretty easy, we have been competing really hard in practice.”
Despite being exhausted after a long break, Clark didn’t let it impact her performance. She finished the game with 29 points, five rebounds, and 10 assists in 36 minutes of playing time.
With each passing game, the former Iowa star is cementing her case for the WNBA Rookie of the Year. She is currently averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 8.2 assists per game for the Fever.
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Clark on extended Olympics break
The entire world would have loved to see Clark rock Team USA colors during her rookie season. It would have brought massive attention to the WNBA. But what’s done is done and cannot be rectified. On a positive note, the extended break seemingly helped the Fever.
The 22-year-old star spoke about it in the recent episode of Fever All-Access on X (formerly known as Twitter).
“I think the time off was just really helpful for all of us, from a standpoint of getting reset mentally, emotionally, physically, just because the first part of our schedule was so demanding and there as always so much eyeballs on us, too many people watching, always a spotlight so it's good to have that reset,” Clark said .
With the players well-rested and energized, the Indiana team will make one last push to earn a spot in the WNBA playoffs. As of now, the Fever has a 12-15 record and holds the third seed in the Eastern Conference.
Related: Caitlin Clark on WNBA teams chartering flights for their players this season: "It just makes life a lot easier for a lot of people"
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