Caitlin Clark’s welcome to the WNBA continued Sunday, with the Indiana Fever opening coaching camp.
And the NCAA’s all-time main scorer is already noticing how a lot completely different the professionals are in comparison with school.
“It’s definitely different, but that’s what you expect when you start a new chapter in your life,” Clark mentioned. “It’s fast, fast shot clock, but I think all of you know that’s how I like to play. So, I think it suits my game pretty well. It’s a fast pace, a lot faster than college, and you’ve to learn quicker because you’ve got to get your mind on Friday.”
Friday might be Clark’s first recreation motion, because the Fever tackle the Dallas Wings within the first preseason contest of the brand new season.
Clark’s velocity, which was seen in abundance throughout her time enjoying for the Iowa Hawkeyes, and her different excellent attributes on the courtroom are one thing her teammates are already desirous about enjoying with.
“I think Caitlin has a different eye for the game,” Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 total decide of the 2023 WNBA Draft, mentioned. “You’re able to see how well she passes the ball and how well she shoots it. You see her communicating, you see the way she can find you, I mean her passes are tremendous. I’m like ‘OK, I’ll get a touch, just let me get down there’ just because of how well she passes it.”
WNBA STAR CAITLIN CLARK AUTOGRAPHS ULTRASOUND PHOTO DURING APPEARANCE AT PACERS PLAYOFF GAME
Getting acclimated to any league takes time for rookies, even these which might be good, as Clark was, on the collegiate stage. She totally expects to want to work via some issues earlier than feeling comfy along with her new group.
But now that the fanfare of the Fever choosing her is over and basketball is beginning, she’s able to make that studying curve as brief as attainable.
“I think that’s what I was most excited for, getting all that other stuff out of the way,” Clark mentioned. “The draft was amazing, New York City was amazing, Los Angeles was amazing, but I was excited to get here and get back to playing basketball, you know, doing my job.”
All focus when Clark takes the courtroom might be on her skill to shoot the ball from nearly wherever, however head coach Christie Sides loves one other a part of her recreation that strikes worry into opponents.
“Her ability to space the floor for us is just incredible,” Sides defined after working apply, the place Clark was working with the starters. “We’re going to have five players on the court that can shoot it, but her passing ability – you saw some of the passes she made. I’m more mad at the how many missed layups we had. I think we’re just not used to having those, someone who can make those passes.”
It’s only one apply, however Clark is popping heads as anticipated. She’s amongst a few of the greatest ladies on the planet with a basketball of their fingers, but she’s stunning her teammates and coaches with how she’s enjoying.
The true check, although, will come throughout video games. With the highlight solely brighter on the professional stage, Clark is aware of that folks, each followers and the media, might be on the lookout for wins when the Fever take the ground.
That’s what she performs the sport for anyway.
“I think no matter what happens, there’s going to be expectations and pressure on my shoulders and pressure on this team to be really good. That’s how you want it,” Clark mentioned. “We wouldn’t want anything else. We want people showing up to our games, people expecting us to win a lot of basketball games this year, and I’m expecting myself to play really well. I don’t think it’s anything that’s ever been different for me.”
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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