Caitlin Clark’s Former Teammate Defends Her From ‘Unrealistic’ Expectations

The Las Vegas Aces rookie Kate Martin spent years playing alongside Caitlin Clark when they were teammates on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Now, Martin is speaking out to defend Clark from the “unrealistic expectations” she’s had to deal with since she began playing for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA.

‘People Are Really Hard On Her’

“I don’t know if there’s too much I can do besides just be a friend, right?” Martin said when asked what she’s doing to support Clark. “Being a listening ear, being there for her and being there for everyone. 

“I mean, Caitlin’s phenomenal, and she is having a great rookie season. I think people are really hard on her and expecting her to be perfect. That’s unrealistic, right?” Martin continued. “She’s a phenomenal person. She’s a phenomenal player. I’m going to support her through everything, right? She’s one of my best friends. I’m just there for her.”

Check out Martin’s full comments on this in the video below.

Clark and Martin played on the Hawkeyes from 2020-24, according to The New York Post. During that time, they started for all 139 games the team played.

The attention that Clark is getting has brought more eyes to the WNBA than ever before. So far, she’s handled the pressure well. Clark has averaged 16.3 points, 6.6 assists and 5.4 rebounds per game. Last week, Clark was revealed as the second-ranked player in the WNBA’s All-Star Game voting. Only the Las Vegas Aces’ A’ja Wilson got more votes than Clark.

Related: Fans Demolish Indiana Fever Coach for Not Going To Caitlin Clark, Blowing 15-Point Lead

Sue Bird Defends Clark

Last month, the WNBA legend Sue Bird spoke out to say that Clark is facing the “most pressure” of any women’s basketball player in history.

“Let’s not forget that she probably has arguably the most pressure that any women’s basketball player has ever had coming into the WNBA,” Bird said. “Sometimes it feels like the weight of the WNBA is on her shoulders.”

“That is both a compliment and warranted in a lot of ways but also may be a little bit unfair to put so much on her,” she added.

Watch:

Related: There Are Only Three Active Athletes More Popular Than Caitlin Clark

Clark Gets Compared To Bird

This came after the Indiana Fever general manager Lin Dunn compared Bird and Clark.

“I see many characteristics between Sue Bird and Caitlin Clark some 20 years later,” Dunn told The Associated Press. “When I look at the great guards I’ve seen over how many years now, 28 years, Caitlin has the potential. If she stays healthy, adapts quickly to the physicality of this league, she has the potential to have that kind of career.”

Despite all the pressure that she is under, Clark tries to tune out the noise and focus on basketball.

“I try to block it out. I don’t have social media on my phone, I don’t go on it, I don’t see a lot of it,” she said earlier this month, according to Yahoo News. “But I don’t really think it’s that different from when I was in college.”

“Everybody’s going to have their opinion. Everybody’s entitled to their own opinion,” she continued. “You just gotta be focused on what’s in your locker room, what’s in your organization, how your teammates feel, how your coaches feel.”

With all the attention that Clark is getting, she needs old friends like Martin now more than ever. Good for Martin for publicly defending Clark amidst the intense pressure she is under!