Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark is one of the best prospects to ever enter the WNBA, and her impact is not limited to just the court. Less than a month into her rookie season she is already helping to usher in a new era for the league, which is more popular than ever.
Of course, she's not the only popular player in the league or even her rookie class, and in recent days there has been a lot of discussion about just how much credit Clark should receive. That discussion has spurred comments from LeBron James, Charles Barkley and Becky Hammon.
On Friday, prior to her team's game against the Los Angeles Sparks, Clark said she's not worried about online narratives and is just trying to help her team win.
"To be honest, I'm not really on social media, like I don't read that," Clark said. "This is my job. My job is to compete and play basketball every single day. I think the more attention we can get on every team around this league, that's only gonna help it get better and better.
"But like I said, my job is just to continue to show up and help this team to get better. Obviously, we're fighting for our first win and that's my main focus. That's where 110% of [my focus] is. That's what I think about every single day is coming in and getting better and focus on the things that I need to focus on."
Clark and the Fever are off to a frustrating 0-5 start due in large part to a brutal schedule that has seen them play each of the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun twice already. After their back-to-back with the Sparks and Las Vegas Aces finishes on Saturday, they'll have played seven games in 12 days, almost entirely against title contenders.
Following a disappointing first game, in which she set a record for the most turnovers in a debut with 10, Clark has settled down and is showing her talent. She's averaging 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 5.8 assists. Only eight other players have ever reached those marks for an entire season, and Clark would be the first to do so as a rookie.
James is one of the few players who knows exactly what Clark is going through right now and during a recent episode of his podcast with JJ Redick, he gave her advice about handling the pressure. He also praised her for her off-court impact. "Don't get it twisted, don't get it f---ed up: Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things are going to happen for the WNBA," James said.
That prompted comments from Barkley, who went even further than James. "You women out there, y'all petty, man," Barkley said. "Y'all should be thanking that girl for getting y'all ass private charters. All the money and visibility she's bringing to the WNBA, don't be petty like dudes. Listen, what she's accomplished, give her her flowers."
Hammon, the Las Vegas Aces' head coach, then fired back on Friday, saying "This narrative of everybody hating on Caitlin Clark, and even the black and white thing, knock it off. It's not there. It's not there. So shut down the noise."
