What an incredible athlete who's transforming women's basketball into a money-making venture that can fill stadiums. Unfrickenbelievable.
Would I ever attend a WNBA game or watch one on TV? Of course not.
Caitlin Clark Got Snubbed. Then She Got Even Better.
Before the Paris Olympics, Clark had played basketball for almost a whole year straight. Now, thanks to a few weeks of rest, the rookie superstar has leveled up.
Caitlin Clark has transformed into one of the most dangerous players in the entire sport.
By Robert O’Connell and Rachel Bachman, WSJ
Sept. 10, 2024 7:00 am ET
When Caitlin Clark was left off of the U.S. Olympic team for this summer’s Paris Games, it ignited a national firestorm.
Was Team USA throwing away a chance to promote the sport’s newest star? Did Clark’s play as a rookie for the Indiana Fever even deserve a spot on the team? Was the whole thing an Olympic-sized mistake?
At times, it seemed like the only person who didn’t have time for the discourse about Caitlin Clark and the Olympic team was Caitlin Clark.
“I feel like I can continue to get a lot better,” Clark said shortly before the national team flew to France in July, “and for me, that’s my main focus.”
As it turns out, missing the Games may have been the best possible thing for Clark. Because ever since she took time off while a dozen of the WNBA’s top players went overseas to represent the U.S., Clark hasn’t just continued to get better. She’s transformed into one of the most dangerous players in the entire sport.
Before the midseason break, Clark’s numbers were excellent, especially by rookie standards: 17.1 points and 8.2 assists per game. But her post-Olympic stats show a different player altogether. She’s scoring 24.7 points per game, the third-most in the league over that span, and dishing out 9.3 assists, best in the WNBA.
The Fever, who struggled to an 11-15 record before the Games, have won all but two of their 10 games since to climb to 19-17. And last week, they accomplished a feat that once seemed all but impossible. A team that started the season 1-8 has turned things around so comprehensively that they’ve qualified for the playoffs with time to spare.
The Fever, who struggled to an 11-15 record before the Games, have won all but two of their 10 games since to climb to 19-17. Photo: Tony Gutierrez/Associated Press
None of which should come as a complete surprise. There were hints that Clark might take the Olympic snub personally even before her recent transformation. Fever coach Christie Sides said her point guard had a message for her after finding out she didn’t make the team: “Coach, they woke a monster.”
On Sunday, the Atlanta Dream got an up-close look at the beast. In an overtime Fever win, Clark erupted for 26 points and a dozen assists, launching long-range 3-pointers and picking out her teammates with nearly full-court passes. At one point in the fourth quarter, with Indiana trailing by three, Clark threw up a shot falling sideways out of bounds—and made it, tying the game.
Strangely enough, it might not be the motivational power of her Olympic snub that has propelled Clark to new heights so much as a simple lack of activity. Before the Games, Clark hadn’t had extended time away from competitive basketball since the start of her senior year at Iowa. She began practicing for her final college season last September and played nearly nonstop until the WNBA’s Olympic break.
By July, Clark was clearly looking forward to a rest—and a reset. “I honestly can’t wait to not touch a basketball for a while,” Clark told reporters. “I’ve shot too many times in the past year.”
The Olympic Effect isn’t visible only in Clark’s own numbers; the Fever as a whole are humming in a way they hadn’t come close to before. Before the Olympic break, Indiana averaged 81.8 points per game, on 44.8% shooting. Since Clark lounged on the water while Team USA secured the gold medal? 92.3 points, on 47% shooting.
When Indiana opened the season with just one win in their first nine games, fans worried over Clark’s ability to resuscitate a tortured franchise. (In the past two seasons combined, they’d won fewer games than they have partway through this year.) But suddenly, the Fever are more than simply holding their own in the WNBA; they’ve emerged as legitimate contenders to make a playoff run.
“I came in with the expectation this was going to happen,” Clark said of simply reaching the postseason. “For me, this isn’t a party.”
Since the Olympic break, the Fever are tied with the New York Liberty for the second-best record in the league. Indiana is beating teams by 6.1 points per 100 possessions, the third-best mark. By both metrics, they’re playing better basketball than the twice-defending champion Las Vegas Aces—whom the Fever will play twice this week, giving the young team a taste of postseason-caliber competition.
The Aces, though, are beat up and worn down: Four of their players represented Team USA, and star center A’ja Wilson is hampered by an ankle injury. Clark and the Fever, by contrast, have never looked fresher.
Write to Robert O’Connell at robert.oconnell@wsj.com and Rachel Bachman at Rachel.Bachman@wsj.com
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