The number 1 WNBA draft pick begins her season with a rather slow start, and fans are not happy about it. Since her debut with the Indiana Fever, fans have been waiting for the performances they have gotten used to. However, the transition has not been easy for the legendary college player.
On May 18, 2024, during an interview with the Rich Eisen Show, Sue Bird weighed in on Caitlin Clark’s start to the season. Clark started her rookie season on May 15, 2024, to a defeat and had recorded 2 more defeats at the time of the interview.
Bird, talking about issues, said that it looks like Clark is playing with increased pressure. She feels like Clark is playing with the league’s weight on her back. Additionally, while Bird admits that Clark is an exceptional player with even bigger talent, such amounts of pressure are not ideal for the rookie.
Bird continued with the observation that Clark wasn’t getting enough scoring chances. She said it was probably because most of the teams Clark played against had experienced defense. Bird concluded by encouraging her while stressing the importance of Clark adapting to her environment.
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The Indiana Fevers drafted Caitlin Clark during the 2024 draft, marking the start of her professional career. The 22-year-old player is regarded as one of the greatest college basketball players of all time.
Clark holds the record for most points scored in the NCAA first division. On two occasions, she was named the national player of the year. She made history in her first year of college basketball by leading the division as its top scorer that season. In her second year, she led the division in both scoring and assists, a performance that earned her a national player of the year.
In her third year, she led the division in assists, and as a senior, she won the national player of the year for leading her team to a national title game. Clark has represented the United States at the under-19 level, where she won three gold medals.
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She won two medals at the FIBA Under-19 Women’s World Cup. She was MVP in the FIBA 2021 Under-19 Women’s World Cup. Her college games set attendance and broadcast records, boosting women’s basketball’s popularity.
However, fans have not been worried that she has been unable to replicate her NCAA performances. In a bid to repeat her popular performances, she has been making mistakes, which have resulted in bad games. In defense of Clark, WNBA legend Sue Bird had some words for both fans and the player.
It is safe to say that Bird’s observations come from a place of experience. The WNBA legend was also the WNBA’s number-one draft pick in 2002 by the Seattle Storm. She went on to have a legendary career, winning four championships, her most recent in 2020.
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On the international stage, she won five gold medals at the Olympics, which came consecutively. Her college career was also impressive, winning two NCAA championships with UConn-Husky. So if anyone were to give Clark some advice on WNBA insights, it might as well be a legend like Sue Bird.
Fans are excited about Clark’s upcoming game and hope that she will listen to Bird’s advice and focus on establishing herself in the league. Caitlin Clark will undoubtedly return to scoring in the spectacular way that her admirers have come to expect from her, with patience and time.
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