UNCASVILLE, Conn. — As the clock ticked down before Caitlin Clark’s first WNBA game, she couldn’t stop. Waiting for the opening jumper, she paces along the free throw line. She pulled up her shorts and fixed her ponytail. She waved her arms, trying to free herself from the restraints.
The referee then threw out the orange and white WNBA basketball, but the referee deemed a second throw was necessary. Unlike the official throw-in, Clark may not want to completely redo her debut. Still, at some point she’ll surely look to bounce back from a mixed individual performance and ultimately a disappointing loss.
She scored an Indiana Fever-high 20 points but also committed 10 turnovers – the most by a player in her first WNBA game.
“I didn’t have the best start, so I think there’s a lot to learn,” Clark said. “There will be good people. There will be bad people.
Caitlin Clark scored her first career point on a layup with 5:24 left in the first half. @TheAthleticWBB pic.twitter.com/BqamXt3GBj
— Ben Pickman (@benpickman) May 15, 2024
She rewrote the record books during her four years at Iowa State, often making the toughest matchups and most difficult shots look easy. Tuesday’s ignominious record was unexpected. It’s been just over a month since Clark’s college career ended, but life in the WNBA has already arrived. If she needed a reminder, she showed in the Fever’s 92-71 loss to the Connecticut Sun that she will sometimes experience growing pains in her transition to the professional ranks.
“She’s the new kid on the block in this league,” Fever coach Christie Seitz said. “This is the best league in the world. We have to teach her every night what these games are like for her, and we have to take some of the pressure off her. That’s my responsibility and it’s something my staff has to address.
All eyes are on Clark as she attempts to make the jump to the pros with high expectations to not only perform like she did in college, but to energize the league like never before. Tuesday’s season opener, the Suns’ first home opener since 2003, is a sellout, and she will make her home debut Thursday in front of another raucous crowd. In Connecticut, hundreds, if not thousands, of fans celebrated Clark wearing No. 22 T-shirts emblazoned with Iowa and the Fanatical logo. (At one point, a picture of “Fans Trending” appeared on The Sun’s video board, along with many of them on the screen.) In the hours before the evening kickoff, fans wearing “Clark Mania” shirts Fans began wandering the floor of the Mohegan Sun Casino. The TV ratings for this game are sure to be much higher than last season’s opener.
Clark witnessed it in nearly every game during his senior season at Iowa.
“I play almost every game in front of sold-out crowds, so those environments don’t scare me or affect me at all,” she said Tuesday morning. “I’m sure there are a lot of basketball fans here who will really appreciate this game.”
Fans will be in Connecticut tonight 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7CECWVIFSJ
– Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) May 14, 2024
Yet despite all that familiarity, she tried to temper expectations on the morning of one of the most anticipated rookie debuts in WNBA history.
“I know people think I’m going to do something amazing, but it might take some time,” Clark said. “If something doesn’t go right right away, or a game isn’t as amazing as I wanted it to be, give yourself grace, keep learning, keep getting better from it.”
Clark was almost immediately welcomed to the WNBA by one of the best players in the world. Less than two minutes into the game, Suns star forward Alyssa Thomas attacked Clark in transition, forcing a foul on the 6-foot guard. After two fouls, Clark ended the first quarter scoreless. She admits that getting back into flow after sitting early can be difficult.
Clark had said it would be “nice” to make her first career shot on a layup, but she couldn’t imagine having to wait until 5:24 of the second quarter to score. At halftime, reigning Rookie of the Year Aaliyah Boston caught Clark’s eye as she headed to the locker room with a 10-point deficit.
“(Boston) said calm down, be aggressive and be yourself,” Clark said.
Clark made some unusual mistakes, picking up the basketball and moving, dribbling with his feet and throwing errant inbounds passes. Her defense also has room for improvement. Against experienced opponents, Connecticut’s physicality came into play. Sides said Indiana “got punched in the face.”
Clark eventually took advantage of the transition and settled in. Her 3-pointer over Suns center Olivia Nelson-Ododa late in the fourth quarter was reminiscent of her time with the Hawkeyes. Nonetheless, the Fever were in catch-up mode all night, falling behind in the final 34 minutes of the game. A stretch of Thomas guarding Clark in the fourth quarter provided another data point that showed Clark’s increased level of competition.
deeper
What we learned from Kaitlyn Clark’s WNBA debut
Clark now has a lot of tape to digest, but not much time to do it. Sides emphasized the Pacers’ poor spacing and the need to find ways to make Boston look easier (she attempted just six shots and scored just four points). Clark’s teammates must do a better job of returning the ball when she passes the ball. Cutting down on turnovers — the Fever had 25 — is also imperative.
Opportunities for immediate growth arise quickly and often. Indiana opens the season with seven games in 12 days. The New York Liberty await Thursday night for what will be another tough challenge in their series.
Some performances will inevitably pale in comparison to others. A Clark masterclass will surely come sooner or later. But Tuesday highlighted what her new competition will look like. How she responds will be her biggest challenge.
“Disappointment, no one likes losing, that’s what it is,” Clark said. “You can’t blame yourself too much for one game.”
(Photo: Elsa/Getty Images)
