WNBA fans were shocked and appalled on Saturday night when the Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark was on the receiving end of a hard foul from Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter. Clark is now hoping that the four day break her team had this week will help them all recharge.
Clark Focused On ‘Getting Away From Basketball’
“I think honestly just getting away from basketball, getting some sleep, taking care of my body,” Clark told The Associated Press. She said this after being asked what she did during her days off.
“I play the point guard spot, like, I haven’t gotten a lot of practice time with my team and that’s really hard, trying to navigate an offense and you haven’t had much practice time together,” she added.
Clark certainly deserves some rest. The former Iowa Hawkeyes star is only the third WNBA player to top 100 points, 30 rebounds and 30 assists in her first six games. She also leads this year’s talented rookie class in scoring (17.6 points), assists (6.6), field goals (46) and free throws (42). Clark was even able to match Diana Taurasi’s 3-pointers total (24).
Despite this, Clark also has 59 turnovers, which is the most in the league. Her team is 2-9 this season, a stat that seems to be taking a toll on her. The way she’s being treated by her fellow players hasn’t made adjusting to the WNBA any easier for Clark. Earlier this week, UConn coach Geno Auriemma claimed that Clark is being “targeted” by WNBA players. He believes that they are bitter about the attention that she’s been receiving.
Related: Caitlin Clark Is ‘Being Targeted’ By Other WNBA Players, UCONN’s Geno Auriemma Warns
Clark Should ‘Give Herself Some Grace’
“She’s a human and I think she deserves to give herself some grace, and I think a lot of people around this world should, too,” Indiana guard Kelsey Mitchell said.
“Not only is she human, she’s a 22-year-old kid, technically, and I think that as she’s going to transition, there’s going to be things she’ll experience that comes with time,” she continued. “I think the world should give her some grace.”
Clark is less than two months out from a collegiate season that saw her play 39 games with the Hawkeyes. Her schedule since joining the Fever has been grueling, as the team has played 11 games in 20 days. Virtually every game has been on national television. Clark is well aware that millions of eyes are focused on her at all times.
“I don’t know if I’ve experienced anything like it ever in my 12 years of coaching in this league,” said Fever coach Christie Sides. “Just to have that grind of a schedule, two back-to-backs against the two best teams in the league. It’s just really tough. You’ve just got to keep your team together whenever they’re going through something like this.”
Next Fever Game
The Fever is set to take on the Washington Mystics tonight. Heading into this game, Clark is feeling hopeful.
“Hopefully, we’ll get our legs under us a little bit more, make a few more shots, we probably haven’t shot it as well as we would have liked,” she said. “But I think overall, just our chemistry and how we’re working together will get better.”
The way Clark has been treated since joining the WNBA is nothing short of appalling. Here’s hoping that she can continue to stay strong in the face of this adversity!
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