Inside Caitlin Clark’s first week in WNBA with Indiana Fever

NEW YORK — Caitlin Clark was swarmed. With 53 minutes on the clock till her Indiana Fever’s Saturday afternoon tilt in opposition to the New York Liberty, safety flanked her as she walked behind the groups’ benches to signal autographs after ending a portion of her pregame routine.

Like moths to a light-weight, followers from numerous sections at Barclays Middle descended upon Clark, following her alongside the rail as she made her manner towards the tunnel. Younger children and adults, carrying Fever and Liberty gear, known as her identify, hoping to be the following fan to get a selfie or autograph.

The Caitlin Clark tour has formally graduated from Large Ten arenas to the WNBA. Almost 44,000 followers throughout sellouts in three totally different cities flocked to witness the 2024 No. 1 draft choose and NCAA Division I scoring chief take the ground for her preliminary skilled basketball video games. Scores extra watched on tv, together with 2.1 million for Indiana’s season opener Tuesday, the most-watched WNBA sport since 2001.

However this chapter of Clark’s journey to this point has an aura of unfamiliarity in comparison with her storybook run at Iowa by which the Hawkeyes fell simply wanting successful the nationwide championship the previous two seasons. The Fever are 0-3 heading into Monday’s rematch in opposition to the Connecticut Solar (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Two of their losses had been blowouts.

And individually, Clark, who by no means misplaced three consecutive video games at Iowa, has had her ups and downs as she has struggled with physicality, enjoying with new teammates and going through higher defenses. She’s the fourth participant in WNBA historical past to tally 50 factors and 15 assists in her first three profession video games, however she has additionally dedicated 21 turnovers, probably the most by means of a participant’s first three video games in league historical past.

Exacerbated by a brutal schedule that is significantly unforgiving for a younger, inexperienced squad, the adjustment to the WNBA is enjoying out simply as legends Sheryl Swoopes and Diana Taurasi warned it could. Precisely as Clark herself, in addition to Indiana’s coach and normal supervisor, had acknowledged could be the case.

“I do know the surface world thinks I’ll do some superb issues, however which may take a while,” Clark stated Tuesday morning, previous to her first regular-season sport.

“That is the skilled league,” teammate Kelsey Mitchell stated Saturday. “I do not know what folks anticipate or what they’re in search of. However [coming together as a team] goes to take a while.”

CLARK WAS BURSTING with pleasure within the lead-up to her professional debut in opposition to the Solar. She’d performed in Indiana’s preseason video games, however this was the true deal, she stated. It was setting in how fortunate she is to have this as her job, and he or she stated she was stressed ready for the 7:30 p.m. tip.

“That is undoubtedly up there with a number of the finest moments of my life, for certain,” Clark stated previous to Indiana’s 92-71 loss.

She knew groups could be bodily together with her. In going up in opposition to not simply two of the highest three squads within the league this previous week, however particularly two of the highest defenses, Clark was hounded by premier perimeter defenders in Connecticut’s DiJonai Carrington, an early candidate for WNBA Most Improved Participant, and New York’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, a two-time All-Defensive staff choice.

When it wasn’t these two, former MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas helped get Clark into foul bother, or Solar guard Rachel Banham bodied her sliding throughout the paint as a assist defender as Clark went up for a layup. On the opposite finish of the ground, two-time MVP Breanna Stewart set a brick wall of a display screen Saturday that despatched Clark to the ground.

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Caitlin Clark underwhelms once more as Fever fall to the Liberty

Caitlin Clark scores 9 factors because the Indiana Fever fall to the New York Liberty 102-66.

Coming off a 22-point efficiency in opposition to the Liberty on Saturday — the most effective scoring outing Clark has had as a professional, in addition to her best (9-for-17 from the sector) — Clark is averaging 17.0 factors on 40.0% capturing (32.1% from 3), to go together with 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and seven.0 turnovers.

That may be thought-about a “nice” begin for some other participant, Fever coach Christie Sides stated previous to Saturday’s sport. The expectations are simply that prime for Clark, and by extension, the Fever.

“Once I’m taking a look at all these items that individuals are speaking about with Caitlin Clark, it is like guys, relax. She’s going to be high quality,” Solar coach Stephanie White stated Friday. “It is two video games in. Are you kidding me?”

Past Clark, Indiana — which is looking for its first postseason since 2016 — has struggled with each its offensive and defensive execution. Thursday’s 102-66 loss to the Liberty marked the franchise’s largest defeat in practically three years and the second-largest loss in a house season opener in WNBA historical past. Sides was left lamenting her staff’s lack of psychological toughness and satisfaction, particularly in entrance of the 17,000-plus followers who stuffed Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Within the midst of such extraordinary consideration and strain, Fever veteran Erica Wheeler — who as some extent guard has taken Clark underneath her wing — suggested teammates to remain off social media. As they attempt to carry each other accountable in-house, she stated, they have to “keep collectively it doesn’t matter what.”

Clark’s frustration has been apparent at occasions. On the finish of the primary half in opposition to the Solar, she argued with an official a couple of no-call earlier than Sides received between them and nudged Clark away. Teammate Aliyah Boston walked off the court docket at halftime with Clark, grabbing her by the arm as she defined why she won’t get these calls and informed her she needs to be calm and aggressive and “be you.”

Two days later, as Clark exited the Fever’s residence loss to the Liberty — she was held to single-digit scoring, which occurred solely as soon as in 139 video games at Iowa, throughout her freshman season — a clearly irritated Clark dourly high-fived employees and teammates earlier than taking a seat on the bench.

But when requested Saturday to explain how issues are going to this point, Clark responded, “It has been enjoyable, truthfully, like, that is what you signed up for.” These early video games are ripe for studying alternatives, she stated, and he or she relishes the alternatives to play in entrance of huge crowds in new arenas in the most effective league there’s.

“All of us need to win, that goes with out saying,” Clark stated. “However on the similar time, there needs to be some type of positivity otherwise you’re actually going to lose your self.”

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Caitlin Clark will get leveled by a Breanna Stewart display screen

An unsuspecting Caitlin Clark barrels into a tough Breanna Stewart display screen, briefly sending Clark to the ground.

THINGS REMAIN A whirlwind. Exterior of the video games, there are shootarounds and practices, movie classes, media availability and journey (each by constitution and commercially, although the league strikes to full-time constitution this week). When requested by a reporter whether or not she has been capable of settle in to Indianapolis in any respect, Clark stated, “Not likely,” earlier than including she hopes to make it to the town’s Zoobilation, a black-tie fundraising occasion in June on the Indianapolis Zoo. Quickly, she’ll lastly get to maneuver out of a resort and into an condo.

Saturday’s loss to the Liberty appeared like a step in the proper course. The Fever performed with extra tempo, which helped the offense stream higher. Clark thought she was extra lively on that finish, too. She balanced some 3-point makes with getting downhill to the rim — her 9 subject targets surpassing the seven she’d made in her first two video games mixed — whereas her eight assists had been her most to this point.

“She’s going to be a extremely good participant, I do know that a lot,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello stated Saturday. “It is laborious coming in as a No. 1 [pick]. … Kelsey Plum, it took her an adjustment, look what she’s doing now. Sabrina [Ionescu], have a look at the adjustment that she made.”

The Fever protection wants work. Indiana allowed 12 first-half 3-pointers from New York, in addition to 30 factors in transition. However the Fever battled again from a 23-point deficit to make it an 11-point sport (91-80) by the ultimate buzzer.

But the schedule will not let up for a while. Indiana’s present stretch of seven video games in 12 days to start out the season concludes with conferences on the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, on the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday and on the Las Vegas Aces, the two-time defending champions, on Saturday. Fast turnarounds aren’t simply attempting for athletes — together with Clark, who is barely weeks faraway from a 39-game faculty season — however make for very restricted apply time, which might be what Sides needs she had most.

“Course of” is the phrase Sides retains utilizing to explain Clark’s assimilation to the professionals. She’s referring not simply to Clark studying the professional sport, but in addition to her staff’s chemistry.

“We’re striving to be what Minnesota and what Las Vegas is … and it took them time,” Sides stated. “So now with the eyes on us, the strain is totally different, however nonetheless, you may’t skip steps.”