NEW YORK – Caitlin Clark was attacked. With 53 minutes on the clock until the Indiana Fever's Saturday afternoon game against the New York Liberty, security flanked her as she walked behind the team benches to sign autographs after finishing a portion of her pre-game routine. to the game.
Like moths to a light, fans from various sections of the Barclays Center descended on Clark, following her over the railing as she headed toward the tunnel. Toddlers and adults, dressed in Fever and Liberty gear, called out her name, hoping to be the next fan to get a selfie or an autograph.
Caitlin Clark's tour has officially graduated from Big Ten stadiums to the WNBA. Nearly 44,000 sold-out fans in three different cities turned out in droves to witness the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft and NCAA Division I scoring leader take the floor for her first professional basketball games. Most-watched scores on television, including 2.1 million for Indiana's season opener on Tuesday, the most-watched WNBA game since 2001.
But this chapter of Clark's journey so far has an aura of unfamiliarity compared to his storybook career at Iowa, in which the Hawkeyes failed to win the national championship the past two seasons. The Fever are 0-3 heading into Monday's rematch against the Connecticut Sun (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Two of their losses were by beating.
And individually, Clark, who never lost three straight games at Iowa, has had his ups and downs as he struggled with his conditioning, playing with new teammates and facing better defenses. She is the fourth player in WNBA history to score 50 points and 15 assists in the first three games of her career, but she has also committed 21 turnovers, the most in a player's first three games in WNBA history. the league.
Exacerbated by a brutal schedule that is particularly unforgiving for a young, inexperienced team, the adjustment to the WNBA is unfolding just as legends Sheryl Swoopes and Diana Taurasi warned it would. Exactly as Clark herself, as well as Indiana's coach and general manager, had recognized would be the case.
“I know the outside world thinks I'm going to do amazing things, but that might take some time,” Clark said Tuesday morning, before his first regular-season game.
“This is the professional league,” teammate Kelsey Mitchell said Saturday. “I don't know what people expect or what they're looking for. But [coming together as a team] “It's going to take a little time.”
CLARK WAS EXPLODING with excitement in the run-up to his professional debut against the Sun. He had played in Indiana's preseason games, but this was the real deal, he said. She made it clear how lucky she is to have this as her job, and she said she was restless waiting for the 7:30 pm tip.
“This is definitely up there with some of the best moments of my life, for sure,” Clark said before Indiana's 92-71 loss.
She knew teams would be physical with her. Facing not only two of the league's three best teams last week, but specifically two of the best defenses, Clark was pursued by top perimeter defenders like Connecticut's DiJonai Carrington, an early candidate for Player of the Year. WNBA Most Improved, and new York's Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, a two-time All-Defensive team selection.
When it wasn't those two, former MVP candidate Alyssa Thomas helped Clark get into foul trouble, or Sun guard Rachel Banham helped her slide through the paint as a help defender while Clark He was going to score a layup. At the other end of the court, two-time MVP Breanna Stewart set up a brick wall screen Saturday that sent Clark to the ground.
1:37
Caitlin Clark disappoints again as Fever falls to Liberty
Caitlin Clark scores nine points as the Indiana Fever fall to the New York Liberty 102-66.
Coming off a 22-point performance against Liberty on Saturday, the best scoring outing Clark has had as a pro, as well as his most efficient (9-for-17 from the field), Clark is averaging 17.0 points out of 40.0. Shooting % (32.1% from 3), in addition to 4.3 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 7.0 turnovers.
That would be considered a “great” start for any other player, Fever coach Christie Sides said before Saturday's game. Expectations are that high for Clark and, by extension, the Fever.
“When I see all these things that people talk about with Caitlin Clark, it's like guys, relax. She's going to be fine,” Sun coach Stephanie White said Friday. “It's two games in. Are you kidding me?”
Beyond Clark, Indiana, seeking its first postseason since 2016, has struggled with both its offensive and defensive execution. Thursday's 102-66 loss to Liberty marked the franchise's biggest loss in nearly three years and the second-largest loss in a home season opener in WNBA history. Sides was left lamenting his team's lack of mental toughness and pride, especially in front of the more than 17,000 fans who packed Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Amid so much extraordinary attention and pressure, Fever veteran Erica Wheeler, who as a point guard has taken Clark under her wing, advised her teammates to stay off social media. As they strive to hold each other accountable internally, she said, they must “stay together no matter what.”
Clark's frustration has been obvious at times. At the end of the first half against the Sun, she argued with an official over an unsanctioned call before Sides stepped between them and shoved Clark. Her teammate Aliyah Boston walked off the court at halftime with Clark, holding her arm as she explained why she might not get those calls and told her that she had to be calm and aggressive and ” Be yourself”.
Two days later, as Clark emerged from the Fever's home loss to the Liberty (she was limited to single-digit scoring, which occurred only once in 139 games at Iowa during her freshman season), Clark , clearly irritated, severely high-fived the staff. and teammates before sitting on the bench.
However, when asked on Saturday to describe how things are going so far, Clark responded: “Honestly, it's been fun, this is what you signed up for.” These early games are ripe for learning opportunities, he said, and he relishes the chance to play in front of big crowds in new stadiums in the best league there is.
“We all want to win, that's obvious,” Clark said. “But at the same time, there has to be some kind of positivity or you're really going to lose yourself.”
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Caitlin Clark gets leveled by a Breanna Stewart screen
An unsuspecting Caitlin Clark crashes into a hard screen from Breanna Stewart, briefly sending Clark to the floor.
THINGS STILL BE whirlwind. Outside of games, there are shootouts and practices, film sessions, media availability and travel (both contractually and commercially, although the league moves to full-time contract this week). When asked by a reporter if he had been able to settle in Indianapolis, Clark said, “Not really,” before adding that he hopes to attend the city's Zoobilation, a gala fundraising event in June at the Indianapolis Zoo. . Soon, he will finally be able to move from a hotel to an apartment.
Saturday's loss to Liberty seemed like a step in the right direction. The Fever played with more pace, which helped the offense flow better. Clark thought she was more active that way too. She balanced some 3-pointers with getting to the rim (her nine field goals surpassed the seven she had made in her first two games combined) while her eight assists were her most yet.
“She's going to be a very good player, I know that,” Liberty coach Sandy Brondello said Saturday. “It is difficult to reach number one [pick]. …Kelsey Plum, it took an adjustment, look what she's doing now. Sabrina [Ionescu]Look at the adjustment she made.”
The Fever defense needs work. Indiana allowed 12 three-pointers in the first half to New York, as well as 30 points in transition. But the Fever rallied from a 23-point deficit to make it an 11-point game (91-80) when the final buzzer sounded.
However, the calendar will not let up for some time. Indiana's current stretch of seven games in 12 days to start the season concludes with meetings at the Seattle Storm on Wednesday, at the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday and at the Las Vegas Aces, the two-time defending champions, on Saturday. The quick turnarounds are not only difficult for athletes, including Clark, who is just weeks away from a 39-game college season, but they also make practice time extremely limited, which is probably what Sides most wants to have. .
“Process” is the word Sides keeps using to describe Clark's assimilation into the professionals. It refers not only to Clark learning the professional game, but also to his team chemistry.
“We're striving to be what Minnesota and Las Vegas are…and it took time,” Sides said. “So now, with eyes on us, the pressure is different, but still, you can't skip steps.”
