Caitlin Clark did not waste any time making a statement in her WNBA debut as the Indiana Fever took on the Dallas Wings in the preseason. One particular moment has become the talk of social media.
During the second quarter, Clark pulled off a step-back hesi three-point shot in one of the highlights of game. It may have been a preseason matchup, but the game had regular season energy thanks to Clark’s pro debut.
Here’s a look at the moment that turned heads.
Caitlin Clark on Playing in the WNBA: ‘You Can’t Take a Second Off’
In the end, Clark’s preseason debut ended with heartbreak as Arike Ogunbowale hit a game-winning step-back three of her own with three seconds remaining. The good news for the Fever is that the result will not hurt the team in the standings. Clark reflected on her initial observations of the difference between college basketball and the WNBA.
“I think that’s the biggest thing is like when you’re on the court with this much talent, you can’t take a second off,” Clark said in a May 3, 2024 press conference. “You relax for one second and they’re going to beat you on a screen. They’re going to beat you on a whatever [the play] is. I think that’s the biggest thing is like you cannot relax in this league for one second.
“So, I think getting used to that, just playing hard every single second,” Clark continued. “But yeah, I think overall we did a really good job, played everybody, executed. I thought we could have done a little bit better job, slowed it down a little bit in the second half and got into our sets a little better. But overall, we ran the floor really, really well.”
Caitlin Clark on Not Playing Every Minute for the Indiana Fever: ‘It’s Probably Going to be Nice’
The Fever may have lost, but it was quite the debut for Clark. The No. 1 pick shined with 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals versus the Wings. Clark still has room for improvement after making 5 turnovers in her first WNBA game.
The one thing that is different for Clark in the WNBA is that the guard will be coming out of the game. Clark was known for playing the majority of the minutes at Iowa, but the star admitted she is looking forward to getting some rest in games.
“I think honestly it’s probably going to be nice,” Clark said about being subbed out during WNBA games. “I think I can play a lot harder when I’m in, and at Iowa I had to find moments within the game to like reset and take a break. Whether that was on offense or defense. So, we have so much talent on our roster.
“I don’t need to play 40 minutes. And I think that’s going to allow me when I’m in the game to produce an even better product and play even harder when I’m in,” Clark added. “And I think that’ll still be a learning thing for me, like you don’t have to dribble and create everything for yourself. Like, use screens, use your teammates. So, I think that’ll be an adjustment over the course of the first couple weeks and first couple months for myself.”
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