Caitlin Clark ’s highly-anticipated WNBA debut was, plain and simple, a dud. The Iowa Hawkeyes legend scored 20 points, shooting 5-for-15 from the field, and committed an eyebrow-raising ten turnovers. Yes, it was that bad.
However, despite the embarrassing performance that resulted in a lopsided 92-71 defeat for the Indiana Fever at the hands of the Connecticut Sun, veteran sports commentator Stephen A. Smith refused to get swayed by it, explaining that one bad game is hardly enough to make any grand conclusions about Clark’s potential in the WNBA.
First-game jitters
As decorated as the 6-foot guard was in her NCAA career, Smith said the WNBA is a different beast that Clark must learn to tame. With the Sun’s players chomping at the bit to get their hands on the league’s latest darling, Caitlin was given little room to breathe, much less make a shot. However, SAS was hardly dissuaded by CC's disjointed performance or the many turnovers she committed. Instead, he saw things that would bode well for the perimeter sniper.
“I don't give a damn about the ten turnovers; they're nothing to me. It's her first professional game. Obviously, she was a bit aggressive. I'm looking for the aggression, I'm looking for the sniper-like mentality. This girl launched threes from all over the place,” Smith said on “First Take.”
The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer went 4-for-11 from beyond the arc, showing the perimeter accuracy that made her the first-overall pick of this year’s WNBA Draft. As a matter of fact, Connecticut respected her outside shot so much that they threw double-teams and blitzed her on pick-and-rolls all night long, preventing her from getting into a rhythm.
“She was getting double-teamed. You know why she was getting double-teamed? Because they know she can launch it. And why is she a star? Because we know that she will pull up from the logo, and it goes in. So when you show that capability in your first game, to me, that's just a sign of things to come, and I love it,” Smith stated.
Two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike was equally impressed with the defensive attention Caitlin was getting from the get-go. The Sun, one of the best defensive teams in the league, relentlessly put bodies on the rookie sensation, throwing her off her game.
“You know what's kind of crazy? That is the point right there—it's her first game, and she's getting trapped at half-court. She is getting pressured right when she gets across the half-court line because they know her talents. To me, that's the ultimate compliment,” Chiney stressed.
Just sea legs
Another prominent media personality who had no problem with Caitlin having a rough first game is Colin Cowherd. In the NCAA, Clark ran circles around players her age or younger. At this level, she stumbled out of the gate. Cowherd understands that adjusting to a new level of competition takes time, especially in the WNBA, where every player is a top talent.
“I'm okay with it. She's got to get her sea legs. I mean, the WNBA—the length, the size, the speed,” Cowherd said on “The Herd.” “She's going to be fine. She was just a little sloppy, a little tight, but I think to myself, she's 22 years old with the weight of women's basketball on her shoulders. Let her get her sea legs.”
On Thursday night, Caitlin and the Fever get another tough assignment as they host the powerhouse New York Liberty, which features high-scoring All-Star Sabrina Ionescu and reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart.
Related: Caitlin Clark’s WNBA debut with Indiana Fever leads to historic sellout for the Connecticut Sun
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