1 week Ago
Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are preparing to play against the Atlanta Dream on Sunday. Just before tip-off, Clark spoke with the media and shared a few updates on her rookie season. The 22-year-old was asked about the pressure that she faces in the league at such a young age.
Clark was drafted to the WNBA in April with the No. 1 overall pick. She was already a superstar at the collegiate level, but as the rookie explained, many now view her as a "national or global star.
" While she believes her life has changed fast in her rookie season, she believes keeping her circle tight helps her stay grounded and she continues to try and be the same person she was when she was a freshman with the Iowa Hawkeyes. “My life has definitely changed really fast," Clark said." "At the same time, I feel like I’ve tried to stay very much the same person that I was when I stepped on campus at Iowa my freshman year.
.. I probably wasn’t the national or global star that people say I am today.
.. I’ve continued to keep my circle tight and they don’t view me in the way that a lot of people in this world do and that’s something that I definitely appreciate.
" How do you handle the success and the pressure of your rookie year with expectations! @CaitlinClark22 #caitlinclark @IndianaFever pic.twitter.com/fdBItfyGDB While Clark mentioned that there's definitely a lot of attention around her, she thinks the pressure is a privilege.
"But, I think so myself as an extreme competitor, if you don’t have that pressure you’re probably doing something wrong," Clark added. That pressure has helped Clark become one of the biggest stars in the WNBA. She's currently averaging 19.
0 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Clark leads all rookies in scoring and leads the WNBA in average assists. She was also named as a WNBA Al-Star starter in her rookie season. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports Caitlin Clark hasn't just been great on an individual level.
While she's struggled with a few concepts in her rookie season, like a high turnover count at 5.6 turnovers per game, the rookie has developed into a tremendous leader for Indiana. She's helped the Fever clinch a playoff for the first time since 2016.
Indiana currently stands at No. 6 in the WNBA standings with an 18-17 record. Related: Caitlin Clark Addresses Angel Reese's Season-Ending Injury Related: WNBA Fans Devastated After Angel Reese's Season-Ending Injury.
