Caitlin Clark's start to WNBA career highlighted by broken records and controversies
Caitlin Clark's first half of her WNBA rookie season came to a close Wednesday, and to say it's been a whirlwind beginning on and off the court would be an understatement.
The first half of the WNBA season came to a close on Wednesday night, as the league will break for the All-Star Game in Phoenix this weekend and the Paris Olympics after that.
This downtime makes for a good moment of reflection, especially for Indiana Fever first overall pick, Caitlin Clark.
Yes, she will be present in Phoenix to take on Team USA as part of Team WNBA in the All-Star Game, but since she didn't make the Olympic squad (more on that later), Clark will have the chance to look back on what she's been able to accomplish, as well as the media whirlwind that started seemingly the moment she stepped on a WNBA court.
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Let's take our own look at the start of Clark's WNBA career, beginning with the many controversies she faced right at her very first press conference as a member of the Fever.
Indy Star columnist Gregg Doyel’s awkward comments toward Clark made headlines at her introductory press conference with the Fever, as he asked whether she "liked that" after making a heart with his hands before asking her a question.
The interaction ultimately led to an apology from Doyel, and the Indy Star took him off the Fever beat for the season.
A'ja Wilson of the Las Vegas Aces told the media at the start of the WNBA season that she believed race came into play when discussing why Clark was so immediately popular around the country.
"I think it’s a huge thing. I think a lot of people may say it’s not about black and white, but to me, it is. It really, is because you can be top-notch at what you are as a black woman, but yet maybe that’s something that people don’t want to see," Wilson told The Associated Press when asked about what role race might play in Clark's appeal.
"It doesn’t matter what we all do as black women, we’re still going to be swept underneath the rug. That’s why it boils my blood when people say it’s not about race, because it is."
Wilson ended up changing the tune of her thoughts on Clark.
"She's learning and growing like everyone else," she said. "I feel like people don't give her a chance. We tell our rookies every single day, 'This is new. You're coming into a whole other new world and starting over.' So, these questions are only annoying because she's young. She's a rookie. You keep asking us these questions as if she's a grown-ass woman that's been in this league for years. No, she's doing her job. We're doing ours, and at the end of the day, that's how we grow, is when we get better and do things like that."
It quickly became the WNBA foul heard 'round the world, when the Chicago Sky veteran guard shoulder-checked Clark, who was looking for an inbound pass after a bucket.
It was ruled a common foul in the moment, but the WNBA later upgraded it to a flagrant-1 violation.
However, the foul turned into the hottest topic in sports, as every talk show discussed the play and what it said about how Clark was being received in the WNBA.
Later, Carter would finally answer questions about the foul after initially refusing to speak on it. She said she had no regrets over anything that had occurred.
The sports personality was trying to defend Clark, but many believed he had taken it too far when he referred to her as a "white b---" during a monologue on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show."
Pat McAfee later clarified that he hadn't been insulting Clark.
"I shouldn’t have used 'white b----' as a descriptor of Caitlin Clark," McAfee wrote. "No matter the context. even if we’re talking about race being a reason for some of the stuff happening. I have way too much respect for her and women to put that into the universe.
"My intentions when saying it were complimentary, just like the entire segment, but a lot of folks are saying that it certainly wasn’t at all. That’s 100% on me and for that I apologize… I have sent an apology to Caitlin as well.
Many believed Clark was destined to make the 12-woman squad heading to Paris to represent the United States in women’s basketball at the Olympics.
However, when the Olympic roster was announced, Clark wasn’t on it.
Outrage ensued, especially after USA women’s basketball selection committee chair Jen Rizzotti called it "irresponsible" to put Clark on the roster, saying popularity hadn’t come into play when deciding whether she should make it.
Clark took the high road, saying she wished nothing but the best for the squad and hoped to one day be on it. But the likes of Serena Williams, Stephen A. Smith, Paul Pierce and many others weighed in on the situation.
The rivalry between these two players stems back to their days battling in college, so when Reese appeared to smack Clark across the head while going for a block, the technical foul became the latest talking point in the WNBA.
Reese defended the play after the June 16 game, saying it was "a basketball play," and Clark believed it was as well. But controversy began when social media chimed in, as Clark had been roughed up in previous games.
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes began taking issue with the coverage of the fouls on Clark, saying "we can’t make it seem like she was assaulted." Fellow WNBA legend Swin Cash also called it "nasty work" how the media were covering Reese’s tech.
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert would later go on "The TODAY Show," where she scoffed at the notion players in the league were targeting Clark.
Despite the controversies Clark has been wrapped up in, the Fever No. 1 overall pick has seemingly gotten better with each game played.
The stat sheet and the record books back it up.
- WNBA single-game assists record: Wednesday night brought the latest Clark record, as she recorded 19 assists in the loss to the Dallas Wings on the road.
Courtney Vandersloot previously held the record at 18 assists, which she set on August 31, 2020.
- Fastest player to 400 points & 200 assists in a season: Not only did the 19 assists set a single-game record, it helped Clark reach another milestone, which couldn’t have been done without her team-high 24 points as well.
Clark needed just 26 games to reach 400 points and 200 assists. The previous low in WNBA history was by legend Sue Bird, who needed 33 games to do so.
- Stat line never seen in WNBA or NBA history: Clark would’ve loved to get a win against the Washington Mystics on July 10, but she posted a stat line that the NBA hasn’t seen, let alone the WNBA.
Clark finished the game with 29 points, 13 assists, five rebounds, five made three-pointers, five blocks and three steals. The WNBA posted that no player has ever had a stat line of the sort in their league as well as the NBA.
-First triple-double by WNBA rookie: Clark went up against the WNBA’s best New York Liberty on July 6 and did something no other rookie has in their career.
She dropped 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds to record the first-ever triple-double by a WNBA rookie in history. Her ability to score and dish out assists has been showcased throughout the season, but Clark really got it done on the boards as well to help her team.
- Historic All-Stars: Clark and Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese helped rewrite history, as it was the first time since 2014 that two rookies were named All-Stars in the same season.
Clark received the most fan votes when all were counted, being the only player to crack 700,000 votes by 735. Her teammate, Aaliyah Boston, ranked second with 618,680.
It's been quite the ride for Clark, who has managed to keep herself locked in on the court despite the massive spotlight that shines on her each night. But at the end of the day, this was to be expected after smashing NCAA records and bringing a whole new viewership to women's basketball during her time at Iowa.
Clark still has the WNBA All-Star Game to go, where there will be many eyes watching her matchup against the U.S. Olympic team, a squad that many believed she should've been a part of this summer.
Clark will have time after that to breathe and reflect on what she's accomplished, but the second half will see her try to reach the WNBA Playoffs in her rookie season.
As it stands, the Fever are seventh in the league with an 11-15 record, with only eight teams reaching the playoffs.
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