I’ve never been a real fan of women’s basketball, either on the high school or college level. I believe I got off on the wrong foot with the women’s sport because of the way the game was once played.
If you’re as old as I, you will remember when high school women played with six players in a half-court game. It was basically a three-on-three game. The guards played defense and could not go full court while the shooters (the only players who could score) played in the frontcourt and could not go full court.
Later, two “rovers” were allowed — two players could play the full court, making it a 5-on-5 game in the early 1960s. There were also limited dribbles, and it wasn’t until the mid-60s that allowed a full, continued dribble. Around 1969, women were allowed to play 5-on-5 in full court as the game is played today.
Boring? It was to me. Can you imagine dribbling three times and stopping to pass? That and the inability to have a speedy, up-tempo floor game, made the game boring to watch. It wasn’t the fault of those playing. It was the rules.
There were many talented women players in Pitt County during those earlier times. Ayden, Bethel, Chicod, Grifton, Grimesland and Farmville high schools had several outstanding women players in those earlier days.
Although I don’t watch as much basketball — either men or women — as I once did, I still have a hankering to see great players and great games. When all the rage about women’s college star Caitlin Clark started this past year, I had to see her play. I found video clips of her and eventually saw some of her games. I immediately became a fan. Her scoring and three-point shooting were amazing. But I noticed much more to her game than just scoring.
Clark has a great basketball IQ. You can tell she eats and sleeps the game. On the floor she is the general. She can handle the basketball. While she was criticized in her early WNBA career for her turnovers, many were the result of her teammates not being used to getting great passes.
As the general on the floor, Clark is in charge every play. She gets the ball down the floor quickly and often in the hands of her teammates. She is the consummate team player.
She knows where to be on the floor. She picks up steals when you least expect it and, more importantly, she can rebound the weak side. It appears to me that she enjoys rebounding, too, because she gets the ball in her hands quicker and can start the ball up the floor. Her triple-double in her WNBA career was not a fluke. As she gets more accustomed to the professional game, she will collect some more of them.
She has outstanding vision. She makes passing look easy. She sees where everyone is on the floor, and she has made some excellent passes. It is obvious that her teammates on the Indiana Fever are learning to play with her and expect her passes. That will get better with time.
No doubt her three-point shooting excites the fans. She can shoot it from anywhere on the court, it seems. She also knows how to get her shot from anywhere on the floor. And she is tough enough to go inside and challenge the “bigs.” She is fearless. That alone makes her tough to handle.
Clark also knows how to spread the love on the floor and behind the microphone. She gives her teammates much of the credit and does her best to push it away from herself. I like the way she plays, but one thing is always obvious in basketball: Despite all the great players on male and female teams, the game of basketball still boils down to being a team game. It takes five players to be victorious over the long term. Clark knows that, and if she can stay healthy, I believe she has a great opportunity to be among the best to ever play in the WNBA.
I agree with some others who have said she is already the best passer. As she gets stronger, the rest of her game will only get better as well.
Yes, I enjoy watching Clark perform on the hardwood!
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