Caitlin Clark slammed her critics, demanding “instant satisfaction” from her and the Indiana Fever after the team’s third straight victory Wednesday night, an 88-81 triumph over the Washington Mystics.
Clark and the Fever were hit hard by criticism after the team lost its first five games of the season and eight of its first nine.
Since then, Indiana has turned a corner, going 5-2 in its last seven games, including a four-game winning streak at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Currently, the Fever sit in the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoffs despite their 6-10 record.
Clark made sure to put his career path in perspective for doubters after the win over Washington.
Clark and the Fever improved to 6-10 on Wednesday night with a win over the Mystics
Clark spoke about the doubters’ need for “instant satisfaction” after the victory over Washington.
“I think everyone loves instant stratification in our world,” Clark said. “No one came here and said we were going to be WNBA champions from day one in our locker room.”
“That was never our goal,” Clark added. “Our goal was to get back to the playoffs and we fought for it every night. This is the first time we have won four games in a row at home since 2015.
‘You have to have perspective on things, and that also applies to life. Like having a perspective on life,” Clark continued. ‘And there just needs to be a solid perspective on what this team can accomplish. And I think everyone in our locker room had that. Nobody ever hung their head.
“We had the most difficult schedule to start. We didn’t get to practice much and we’re playing with the most inexperienced team in the WNBA,” Clark said. “So I think this group is starting to click and build some chemistry and it’s one day at a time.
‘But like I said, everyone loves instant gratification. But of course, we probably would have loved it too. But I think we kept a good perspective knowing that we need to improve step by step,” Clark concluded.
Clark has been under the microscope not only of the public, but also of other WNBA players.
Clark has been the subject of physical play during her first two months in the WNBA.
Clark and the Fever have a chance to extend their winning streak to four games total on Friday on the road against the Atlanta Dream, who are ranked No. 7 in the WNBA standings.
Clark’s first two months in the WNBA have not been easy, as she has dealt with physical play and people believing she is getting a raw deal.
On Sunday, Clark’s constant rival Angel Reese committed a flagrant foul against her when the Chicago Sky star missed a block and hit the former Iowa star in the head, sending her to the court in pain.
After the game, Reese said Fever and Clark received a “special whistle.”
That foul came several days after Reese’s Sky teammate Chennedy Carter checked Clark’s hip, sparking anger on social media for a play that was not bona fide basketball.
Connecticut Sun star DiJonai Carrington also recently criticized Clark for his silence in a “culture war.”
Reese and Clark, pictured at the WNBA Draft, have been fierce rivals so far this season.
With the popularity of women’s basketball skyrocketing, largely behind Clark’s back, attention has been drawn to the use of her name as a weapon to spread racism and misogyny, something Clark rejected last week.
Carrington had taken issue with Clark’s lack of a bold statement to disassociate himself from such things. She then appeared at Clark’s game hours after posting a tweet criticizing her.
‘Dog. How one can’t be bothered that his name is used to justify racism, intolerance, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia and the intersectionalities of all of them is crazy. We all see shit. We all have a platform. We all have a voice and everyone has weight. Silence is a luxury,” Carrington tweeted.
Clark’s rebuttal about people using his name as a weapon also occurred hours before the start of Fever-Dream.
“It’s disappointing,” Clark said. ‘Everyone in our world deserves the same respect. The women in our league deserve the same respect.
‘People shouldn’t use my name for those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,” Clark continued.