Caitlin Clark's stellar rookie season almost took a turn for the worse though ultimately , it appeared to be a slight setback for the 22-year-old star.
Early in the Indiana Fever's 84-79 win over the Atlanta Dream , Clark was on defense and as she was shuffling her feet to keep up with the player she was defending, she twisted her ankle, falling to the ground in a heap. Clark remained on the floor for a handful of moments before standing up and being substituted.
Though the injury looked bad at first, the star guard was soon back on the court and playing. After the win, Clark spoke to reporters about the injury and explained what was going through her mind as she exited the game to tend to her twisted ankle.
“I saw the replay, and I look really soft," Clark told reporters, much to their delight. "It wasn’t that bad of a turn, but it hurt. Sometimes you just need to give yourself a second. If you ever sprained your ankle, it just kind of stings for a little bit. I was good."
Clark added that the medical staff asked if she wanted to go back to the locker room to get further tests done to which she replied: "No." "Please just tap it right here and let's go. Gotta keep going - get on with the game," Clark added.
Lastly, Clark admitted that basketball players twist their ankles all the time and it has almost become a rite of passage of players at any level to hurt their ankle at some point in their lives, especially if they play basketball.
"I've done it a few times, so it is what it is," Clark said. "Every basketball player, you're not a real basketball player if you haven't sprained your ankles a bunch. That's when you know."
Despite the early injury scare, Clark was able to put that behind her and have an all-around productive game. In 37 minutes of action, Clark had 19 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals, though she did shoot 6-of-14 from the field and 4 of 9 from 3-point land. Star guard Kelsey Mitchell led the way for the Fever with 29 points on 10-of-23 shooting from the field with seven rebounds and one assist.
Shortly after the injury, Barstool Sports boss Dave Portnoy expressed his disgust and joy after seeing Clark fall to the floor but then subsequently return. “Don’t worry, Caitlin’s back on the court,” Portnoy announced as the star nailed a 3-pointer. "Big win for the Fever. Great game from Kelsey Mitchell. Caitlin played solid. Closing in on playoff birth.”
With how Clark has performed, it is clear she is the undisputed Rookie of the Year . Clark's 3-point exploits have become legendary, with her ability to pull up from deep being a focal point in every team's scouting report.
For most of the game, Clark was being face-guarded almost the entirety of the court, making it difficult for her to get the ball up in a timely manner. However, she was still able to drain four 3-pointers, tying her for the most 3s made in a single season at 85.
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