Caitlin Clark adapts to the WNBA’s “physical”, with her debut performance under scrutiny.
Caitlin Clark made her eagerly awaited WNBA debut, displaying incredible skill as she scored 21 points in 28 minutes of play on 6-15 shooting from the field, including 5-13 from 3-point range. Although the Indiana Fever was defeated by the Dallas Wings 79-76, Clark’s performance was encouraging for the future.
Due to her reputation as a threat on the court, Clark attracted a lot of defensive attention from the Wings. She also had her first WNBA jump ball tip, in which she demonstrated her grit and tenacity even though she didn’t win.
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With her trademark 3-point shooting and step-back shots, the rookie star quickly adjusted to the intensity of the WNBA. The fans let up a big applause as she made her first shot, a 3-pointer that went through the net. In addition, she made a step-back 3-pointer against the WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, Natasha Howard.
The physicality of the league, which Clark admitted was different from her time in college, was the largest adjustment for her. In Iowa, she made 93.3% of her attempts as jump jumpers, displaying her ongoing ability to create spectacular perimeter shots that would often punish her opponents. With less than 30 seconds remaining in normal time and a score tied at 76-76, she made her lone effort at the rim against a switch, rounding the corner to go downhill, but ultimately getting blocked.
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Caitlin Clark is figuring out how to strike a balance between setting an example for her teammates and trying to score when approaching the paint, which will require another adjustment and may result in a complete collapse. Navigating the WNBA’s physicality and officiating style is a step in the journey.
“Everybody’s super physical. It doesn’t always get called…The talent level is very different than in college,” stated Clark. She expressed pride in her performance, nevertheless, noting, “I thought I did it pretty well. I could have taken care of the ball a bit better. All of us could have done a better job with that.”
The handle.
The stepback.
The shot.Caitlin Clark has arrived ‼️ https://t.co/tfVz7PVi1k pic.twitter.com/bR9RRB1f9R
— NBA (@NBA) May 4, 2024
Her coaches and teammates were thrilled by Clark’s debut. Her ability to execute plays and her work ethic were highly lauded. Christie Sides, the coach, called her a “game-changer.” “She’s got a lot to learn, but she’s willing to put in the work.” She is not the only one trying to adjust as she tries to rule the WNBA; her colleagues also need to keep getting to know their new star’s passing style in order to perhaps improve their play finishing.
“I think we only had 14 assists, which can’t happen. We missed some easy buckets, which would have put us at around 20 or 21 assists, where we want to be,” stated Sides. Now that she has played in her first WNBA game, Caitlin Clark is prepared to face the obstacles in the league and establish herself as a formidable opponent.
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“I came in here and just played really hard, and that’s always something you can be proud of”, stated Clark. Sides expressed satisfaction with Clark’s performance, but she also pointed out that as they get to know one another’s skill sets, everyone is still finding their collective cadence. Though there is more skill surrounding her to do so, Clark might benefit from streamlining her shooting profile as opposed to how she had to attack Iowa.
“Overall, I thought Caitlin played well. She got some shots up and hit some big ones”, Sides said. “We’re still finding our rhythm, and they’re still learning each other’s game. Caitlin works hard to get her shots, but she doesn’t have to work that hard anymore”.
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Clark agreed that she could simplify her scoring strategy when it was feasible by using off-ball movement or screens more often. “It’ll still be a learning thing for me,” Clark said. “You don’t have to dribble and create everything for yourself; use screens, use your teammates. I think that’ll be an adjustment over the course of the first couple weeks and first couple months for myself.”
As a pick-and-roll ball handler, Clark scored 1.154 points per possession, although she believed she could have executed more of those plays with more purpose. Even so, she valued the excellent looks her teammates gave her when they used her in off-ball screening situations. Two recurring themes in her self-evaluation were keeping the ball moving and making the most of playing outside of screens.
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“I thought our pick-and-roll was really good. We could have gotten more pick-and-roll stuff. I came off screens well, and my teammates found me for some good looks”, Clark said. “Those were kind of the biggest things. At times, I don’t need to dribble so much. Just move the ball, reverse the ball, and use screens better. I think that’ll help me conserve some of my energy.”
Keeping track of her minutes will be another change for Clark. Unlike her time at Iowa, where she played the most of the game, this will be different. Sides once disclosed that she was grateful to Clark for asking to be substituted.
“That’s just learning her,” Sides said. “She got winded early in the first quarter and asked for a sub. I thought it was awesome that she recognized her limits. A lot of players try to fight through it, but I need to recognize it sooner to prevent her from getting too exhausted. If I keep letting her get too exhausted, she’ll lose her energy in the fourth quarter. It’s just a learning process – learning her and the rest of the team and figuring out who’s playing well in which rotation.”
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One lesson that Caitlin Clark emphasized was “the inability to take any plays off by relaxing at the WNBA level.” She naturally requested a sub. “There’s definitely going to be a lot to learn.” She then proceeded with, “It comes down to every single possession. When you’re on the court with this much challenge, you can’t take a second off. You relax for one second, and they’re going to beat you on a screen or something. You can’t relax in this league for one second.”
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Clark is keen to examine her video and make any necessary corrections from a personal perspective. It could be increasing the amount of attention she gives the ball, honing her skills, or being more acquainted with the subtleties of the Fever’s plan.
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“I thought I did it pretty well,” Clark said. “I could have taken care of the ball a bit better. All of us could have done a better job with that. But overall, I played really hard, executed, and there’s going to be a lot to go back to the film and look at and learn from because a lot of it is different from college, just from a technique standpoint or scheme standpoint of what we do. But I came in here and just played really hard, and that’s always something you can be proud of.”
The Fever’s next game is scheduled for Friday, May 10, at Indianapolis’ Gainbridge Fieldhouse versus the Atlanta Dream. Clark’s next WNBA performance should be much anticipated since they have plenty of time to keep working out with teammates and putting what they learn in film sessions into practice.
