Reality is coming.
In the words of Diana Taurasi during her interview with Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter, when Caitlin Clark enters the WNBA, she will be liquidation. After four years of dominating the college game, Clark begins the next chapter of her career as one of the youngest players in the most talented league in the world. Regardless of the overall trajectory of Clark’s career, she’s unlikely to be the best player on the court every night like she was at Iowa.
Diana Taurasi on Caitlin Clark heading to WNBA, ‘Reality is setting in… You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to be playing against some long-term Adult women playing professional basketball playing together.” pic.twitter.com/fxBxGoRZCS
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) April 6, 2024
Hype won’t be a problem for Clark; she’s used to feeling pressure and rising to the occasion. She was a top-five pick out of high school who eventually became college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. As a freshman, she declared her goal to get Iowa back to the Final Four for the first time since 1993, and she did it — twice. As the public eye was on her in every consecutive game of the Hawkeyes’ 2024 NCAA Tournament, Clark kept winning, breaking ratings records in the process.
She has been in the spotlight before. The only difference now is that Clark is poised to be the No. 1 draft pick of the Indiana Fever, and the players she faces are going to be able to do something about it.
“It’s a different game, there’s an adjustment period, there’s a grace period, and when rookies come into the league, you have to give them a grace period,” Taurasi said at USA Basketball training camp in Cleveland. “We have some of the greatest players in the history of basketball and it takes two or three years to get used to a different game against the best players in the world.”
The most significant change Clark encountered in the WNBA was the physicality and strength of opponents. We saw Clark struggle with West Virginia’s offensive ball pressure in the NCAA Tournament, which resulted in her worst assist-to-turnover ratio of the season (3-6). UConn’s Nika Mir put a tight end on her in the Final Four, catching Clark full-court and limiting Clark to his lowest total of the 2023-24 season (21 points). . South Carolina’s trees made it difficult for Clark to shoot in the paint, and she missed 10 two-pointers.
Nika Muhl follows Caitlin Clark wherever she goes pic.twitter.com/aur7s8INm7
— Alex 👋 (@Dubs408) April 6, 2024
That’s the type of defense Clark will face every night in the WNBA, starting with Gamecocks Tiffany Mitchell and Tessa Harris in Indiana’s opener against Connecticut. Additionally, while Clark hides in the Hawkeyes’ defense, deferring the toughest games to Gabby Marshall, there are too many offensive threats on every team in the pros. Opposing players will try to stop her from dribbling and get into her body on that end.
“As far as the challenges, I think the physicality of going against grown women is going to be tough,” Andrea Carter said on a Zoom call before the WNBA draft. “Hitting is going to be harder. Checks are going to be harder. Defenses are going to be more physical and players are going to be faster.
For top defenders, the promotion to the pros is often more challenging. According to ESPN.com, of the nine rookies with WARP (wins above replacement) since 2010, only Maya Moore is a perimeter player. Clark’s game doesn’t exactly resemble that of her childhood idol.
Former No. 1 picks Kelsey Plumb and Sabrina Ionescu both experienced serious growing pains on their way to All-Star status. It wasn’t until her fourth season that Plum averaged double digits, a shocking turn for the then-leading scorer in Division I women’s college history. Likewise, Ionescu didn’t shoot over 35 percent from three until his fourth season, despite shooting 42.2 percent from three in college.
Still, Clark has some advantages over these two. At 6 feet tall, she is taller than Plum, which will immediately give her a clearer camera angle. Opponents may not be able to put their best defender on Clark right away, and with All-Star Kelsey Mitchell also in the backcourt, Clark has deeper range than Plum at this stage, allowing her to stretch the defense. .
Ionescu struggled with severe ankle sprains his first two seasons, so health may be the biggest differentiator for Clark early in his career. But Ionescu’s struggles as the primary ball-handler are instructive — despite being the college’s all-time leader in triple-doubles, she’s only played with one other point guard in her career. Clark would have played in it; therefore, her death required immediate attention. Luckily, this may be the most pro-friendly skill in her toolbox.
“There will be challenges, but at the same time the talent around her is going to be better,” Rebecca Lobo said on a pre-draft conference call. “I’m excited to see what it’s like, especially offensively.”
Perhaps a more useful comparison for Clark is Ryan Howard, the 2022 No. 1 overall pick. Howard was a high-percentage three-point shooter at Kentucky and established herself as a successful scorer as a rookie as she consistently made long-distance shots and was named an All-Star in her first season. Just got the honor. Howard doesn’t create many shots for anyone else — she’s more of a wing than Clark — but uses her size against smaller defenders, which is something her No. 1 overall pick can replicate.
Clark’s deep skill set, whether it’s catch-and-shoot, creating for others, or creating looks for herself, allows her to make her mark immediately with just one of them. In recent years, she has been more successful than those who came before her because her resume is unique.
Even if reality hits right away, Clark still has a long way to go before he can figure out how to dominate at the next level. She is being prepared for success with a team that will prioritize her development and optimize her basketball situation. Sooner or later, everyone will agree that Clark’s game will translate, even Taurasi.
“When you’re good at what you do,” Taurasi said, “you get better.”
(Photo: Stephen Chambers/Getty Images)
