Sheryl Swoopes and Diana Taurasi were criticized for predicting that Caitlin Clark’s adjustment to the WNBA wouldn’t be pretty or easy. The game’s speed would give her trouble, and Clark would have to adapt to pro play. Were they right?
In the opener, a road game vs. the Connecticut Sun, Clark scored 20 points on 5-of-15 shooting (4-of-11 from 3) and had ten turnovers. Her team, the Indiana Fever, lost 92-71. Things worsened in her WNBA home debut. Clark finished with nine points on 2-of-8 shooting–making only one 3-pointer in seven attempts–in the Fever’s 102-66 butt-kicking loss to the New York Liberty.
We should have seen this coming. The Fever haven’t had much practice time, and the WNBA did them no favors by scheduling the Sun and WNBA title favorite Liberty in her first two games. It also didn’t help that Clark was coming off a grueling college season at Iowa.
Saying it has been a rough adjustment for her is an understatement. The phenom gets hit whenever she has the ball. She has been plagued by foul trouble in both games, and at times, she has been indecisive when she has the ball. As the new face of the league, defenders are fired up to play her, and they are coming at her hard. Consider how Connecticut guard DiJonai Carrington frustrated her by forcing her to turn the ball over eight times. Liberty guard Betnijah Laney-Hamilton hassled her into taking shots.
But rather than just single out Clark, let’s remember that instant gratification doesn’t often happen when a rookie goes through the rite of passage as a pro. Not many players can be like Mike Trout or Connor McDavid. Sidney Crosby, Kobe Bryant, and other great players went through rough times as rookies, and it took time for Lisa Leslie, Maya Moore, and other WNBA stars to establish themselves.
Thinking about 2024-25 as a season of growth for Clark is more realistic. She must learn to attack defenses and handle getting hit. She also has to know when to be assertive and unselfish. All of that takes time, especially when facing better and stronger women who have learned the tricks of the trade.
Not only does Clark have to adapt to the league, she also needs to adapt to her teammates and coach. One thing that seems apparent is the lack of trust between Clark and her Fever teammates. Especially obvious are chemistry issues with center Aliyah Boston, but there’s also the need to develop a better on-court rhythm with Erica Wheeler and Kelsey Mitchell. Clark, known as an assist leader, is not performing well in that regard yet, and Wheeler and Mitchell seem to be freezing Clark out. For example, Clark was ignored multiple times when she was open against the Liberty.
Another significant issue is whether Head Coach Christie Sides (13-29) is up to integrating Clark into the team and developing her into a star WNBA player. Sides called out Clark for not being tough. How does that help? The best option is to adapt to Clark’s strength and run the offense through her. That’s not happening when Clark only has eight shots in a game, as she had against New York.
No one said it would be easy for Clark, and everybody wonders if things will change soon. Well, the schedule doesn’t seem especially friendly. For starters, they play games against the teams that just beat them. The Fever play the Liberty today in New York (1 p.m., ESPN) before pivoting to get the Sun again, this time at home, on Monday night (7p, Fubo). Then, the Fever goes on a three-game West Coast swing against good teams: Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, and the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.
Clark was the queen of college basketball just a short time again. Today, life is coming at her fast. Welcome Caitlin Clark to the WNBA.
