Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA could be called a lot of things—historic, sensational, inspiring—but easy is not one of them.
Clark got her first year in the pro leagues off to a rocky start as the Fever dropped eight of its first nine games amid an unfavorable schedule. Fever coach Christie Sides, who has since been replaced by the more experienced Stephanie White, didn’t appear to have many answers for Indiana during that rough initial stretch.
“We didn’t usually have the best game plan back,” Clark said in an interview with Time magazine. “Like, here’s a ball screen, Caitlin. Figure it out.”
“Clearly, there was zero flow within the team,” continued Clark, addressing the Fever’s woeful start to the season. “It was just so choppy, and no one really knew what the other person was doing. Our defense was really bad.”
Clark, who recorded 10 turnovers in her WNBA debut and set a new league record in that category with 185 in her rookie season, found the transition from college tough but not insurmountable. She gradually improved her game to help the Fever earn a playoff berth for the first time since 2016 and capped off a historic campaign with Rookie of the Year honors, while also becoming the distinguished owner of numerous WNBA records.
Every sports icon has to start somewhere. For Clark, the hardest part may be over, but there’s still work to be done. Clark told Time that she wants to continue elevating her game this offseason by hitting the gym and fine-tuning her skills as she looks to lead the Fever to more success next year and beyond.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Caitlin Clark Got Brutally Honest About Her Early-Season Struggles in Rookie Year.
