There’s no denying that there’s a jump in physicality from college basketball to the WNBA, and star rookie Caitlin Clark is certainly learning that.
Clark has been the subject of a few hard hits — some legal, some not — during her first campaign with the Indiana Fever, sparking quite a bit of discourse among basketball fans.
The first-overall pick in the 2024 draft said that her “Welcome to the WNBA” moment came in a game earlier this month on June 2 against the New York Liberty, when she ruptured an ear drum after taking a hard screen.
Clark left that game and didn’t return, and though she didn’t go into detail about her injury at the time, she said it was “hard to hear,” according to The Indianapolis Star.
Caitlin Clark on her “Welcome to the W” moment:
“I actually ruptured my ear drum when we were in New York on a tough screen….great screens, I just didn’t hear them. So, it’s kind of my own fault.”
(Q: @3ptCnvrsn) #WNBA pic.twitter.com/XBJFUJ0wZt
— Meghan L. Hall (@ItsMeghanLHall) June 21, 2024
It’s worth noting that the injury did not occur on the viral screen from Breanna Stewart against Clark when the Fever faced the Liberty on May 18, despite many online speculating that was the case.
Caitlin Clark running into a Breanna Stewart screen 😬 pic.twitter.com/F6coOKcet5
— Jeff Eisenband (@JeffEisenband) May 18, 2024
Despite the physical toll, Clark has continued to impress as a rookie. She’s averaging 16.3 points per game, a mark that paces all rookies and ranks 16th overall in the WNBA.
Though she was controversially not included as part of the U.S. National Team for the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics, she has a good chance to earn All-Star honors — ranking second in early voting — and is leading the race for Rookie of the Year by a wide margin.
