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Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark made good on former Iowa teammate Kate Martin‘s defense of her on May 18.
“She played [three] WNBA games in her entire life, so I think everybody needs to take a deep breath and relax. Caitlin’s great, she’s going to be fine. I’m gonna support her,” said Martin, a rookie guard for the Las Vegas Aces, via The Associated Press.
Clark shot 9-17 from the field for a season-high 22 points, six rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. She hit 4-10 from three-point range in the 91-80 loss to the New York Liberty (3-0) in Brooklyn.
“I think just playing with better pace, that’s kind of a learning thing. It’s not something I always had to do at Iowa,” Clark told reporters after the game, “I’m getting trapped on every ball screen, getting blocked on every stagger screen… so I think it’s just a learning process.”
Caitlin Clark Started Strong but Finished Quiet
Clark started strong with 6-9 shooting with 15 points and four assists in the first half. New York had full command at that point, however, with a 57-37 halftime lead.
Indiana cut the lead to 11 by the end of the game, but Clark didn’t score any of the points in the final 1:15 during the Fever’s late run. She missed a three-pointer with 21.1 seconds left.
Clark’s start to her career amid nationwide attention has endured challenges in three games with an 0-3 start. She scored 20 points in her debut on May 14 against the Connecticut Sun, but Clark also set a WNBA rookie debut record of 10 turnovers.
Things went worse for Clark in her home debut at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 16 when she mustered nine points the first time against the Liberty. She also shot 2-8 from the field, but she neared a triple double with seven rebounds and six assists. In addition, she cut down on turnovers to three.
Foul trouble followed her around the first two times out the gate as she committed four fouls against the Sun and five in the May 16 Liberty game. She cut down to three fouls on May 18, but she turned the ball over eight times.
Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s Been Fun Honestly’
While many on social media have expressed their disappointment over Clark’s start, she has kept things in perspective. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer became a sensation at Iowa over the past two years and entered the WNBA with enormous expectations.
“It’s been fun honestly. Like this is what you signed up for,” Clark told reporters before the game on May 18. ‘This is the best of the best.”
“Obviously, I think we would have loved to have two better performances, but at the same time, I think it’s a great learning opportunity for us,” Clark added. “You have to remember these teams are two of the best teams in the league … [but] I don’t think that’s an excuse for how we play.”
“But I think slowly, like … we’re a young group,” Clark continued. “There needs to be a little grace given to all of us, and I think the more we play together, our chemistry will build.”
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