A lot has happened in Caitlin Clark's life over the past year, from being a star player on the Iowa women's basketball team that reached the national championship as a college senior to being drafted and jumping into the WNBA season shortly thereafter. There was.
The Indiana Fever star was removed from the women's Olympic basketball roster this summer, a decision that sparked much debate, but Clark said the break during the WNBA season was necessary due to the 2024 Paris Games. said.
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caitlin clarke (AP Photo/Adam Hunger/File)
“We had a month off in the middle of the season because we had the Olympic break. We had to pause the WNBA season because 12 women are going to the Olympics. And everyone else, you guys aren't doing that a lot. [I] I got about a month off, which I obviously really needed, because I've only played basketball for one year straight,” Clark said on a recent appearance on the show.new heights.”
The Fever started with a 1-8 record, but then bounced back to go 20-20 and advance to the playoffs. A big reason for the Fever's late season jump was Clark's improved play after the break.
Before the Olympics were suspended, she was averaging 17.1 points per game. After the break, she looked rejuvenated and averaged 23.1 points per game after that.
Jason Kelce asked how Clark would define her whirlwind year in just two words.
Caitlin Clark says she first started receiving college offer letters when she was in seventh grade.
Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever poses for a photo with Lin Dunn and Christy Sides during the inaugural press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on April 17, 2024. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
“I would like to say, I don’t know, but maybe it will change your life? All in a good way, I mean, you know, things change really fast, and that's just the way the world works, and especially on social media, people see a lot of your life. , that's what's fun and why I have so many great opportunities as well. I mean, it's kind of like looking back at a year ago today, or around this time, and I was just starting my senior year of college. ,” Clark said.
“And obviously, people knew who we were, people used to attend our games, and it obviously wasn't as big as it is now. I mean, life was rapidly changing. It just changes, but that's what makes life fun and cool, you know, I also moved to Indianapolis soon after and a new chapter started, and I'm lucky to still be in the Midwest. I feel it. [Jason and Travis Kelce] Like the Midwest. ”
Clark said he is looking forward to a more routine in his second season with the Fever after a rapid transition from college basketball to the WNBA.
How Caitlin Clark navigated the culture wars for a historic 2024
Lisa Bruder and Caitlin Clark speak during practice for the NCAA Women's College Basketball Championship Game between Iowa and South Carolina on April 6, 2024. (Zach Boyden Holmes/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)
“Yeah, for sure, I mean, it's totally different than other professional sports. In fact, from that perspective, I played in a national championship and basically went into the draft right after that and got selected. , and I basically ended up packing up, moving in April, even though I hadn't even finished my senior year,'' Clark said.
“And what was that for you? [NFL] Combine, how long does it take to prepare for the combine, two months? And once you're drafted, you still have a little time to get used to your new city with camps and things like that. That's not the case, camp is like a week and a half for us.”
But Clark also said there are benefits to things moving so quickly.
“I think that was a little bit better too. Like, boom, boom, boom, boom, you don't have time to overthink things. But at the same time, you're not like, I'm in college. I feel like I couldn't really finish the chapter, it just made you get up and leave. I think that's definitely the weirdest part, you know, of women's professional basketball, and that's probably a good thing, because you don't have a lot of time to think about it. Obviously college basketball is just that change,” Clark said.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever speaks to the media during an introductory press conference at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on April 17, 2024 in Indianapolis. (Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images)
Despite the quick transition to the WNBA, Clark still excelled.
She won WNBA Rookie of the Year, was named an All-Star, led the WNBA in assists, and set a record for most assists in a season with 337.
Clark set a rookie record for total points in a season with 769 and made 122 3-pointers in a season, the second-most in a season in WNBA history.
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