Amid a winless start to her WNBA career, and coming off her first single-digit scoring effort since her freshman year in college, Caitlin Clark could have been excused for being in a bad mood Saturday morning.
That was anything but the case.
“Honestly, it’s been fun,” he said of his bumpy transition to the pros, before his Indiana Fever took on the New York Liberty. “This is what you signed up for.”
At least on an individual level, that joyful energy carried over into the game as Clark turned in the best performance of her professional career to date, despite the Fever’s 91-80 loss and another turnover-heavy individual effort.
The former Iowa star had 22 points, six rebounds and a career-high eight assists, including a 10-point first quarter in which he looked like the No. 1 overall pick he became last month.
And while Clark’s introduction to WNBA life hasn’t been ideal, after a whirlwind six weeks that saw her conclude her college career just last month, she’s taking it all in stride.
“I’m just trying to remind myself that this is my job now, but I have fun playing this game,” she said after the loss. “And that has to be my focus throughout this year.”
Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark #22 handles the ball against the New York Liberty on Saturday
Many fans flocked to the Barclays Center specifically to see the former Iowa standout.
However, the Liberty was too strong and never lost the initial advantage they gained.
For Clark and the 0-3 Fever (who were beaten by last year’s runners-up Liberty earlier this week), this was another tough contest and a stark reminder of how far out of contention they are. Even with two number one overall picks (the other being Aaliyah Boston) on the roster.
The fact that Clark still lives in a hotel, as he told reporters, shows how recent this all is.
“This is a professional league,” teammate Kelsey Mitchell said after the game. “I don’t know what people expect or what they’re looking for, but this will take a little time.”
Things started out pretty even on Saturday, when Clark’s 3-pointer with 6:07 left in the first quarter gave his team a slim 14-13 lead.
But the Fever struggled to keep pace with their hosts, who racked up 19 fast-break points to two of them in a sometimes frantic first half that saw plenty of turnovers on both sides.
Just as fatal was Liberty’s red-hot shooting to start the game, as a ridiculous 7-8 mark from three-point range in the first quarter helped the hosts take a 33-22 lead to end the period.
Shortly thereafter, a three-pointer by Jonquel Jones gave Liberty a 44-24 lead in the second quarter. And as far as the Fever’s slim chances of winning were concerned, that was pretty much it, as Indiana never got within single digits in the second half despite Clark’s best efforts.
Mitchell’s 17 points more closely supported Clark, but the Fever ultimately had few answers for players like Breanna Stewart (who scored 24 points), Jonquel Jones (14 points, 12 rebounds) and Sabrina Ionescu (12 points, five assists). .
However, this wasn’t a completely wasted afternoon in Brooklyn for the former Iowa star, or for the fans who packed Barclays Center to watch her.
Caitlin Clark is enjoying her start in WNBA life despite her team’s struggles thus far.
Sports power couple Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird were among the fans at the game.
That list of viewers notably included Billie Jean King, South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley, former Lakers star Pau Gasol, Jason Sudeikis, Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird. And Clark gave her most mature performance yet in front of those big names.
Being followed once again by New York’s Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, Clark shot an efficient 9-17 from the field and moved the ball well to her teammates, although she also had eight turnovers in another high-usage effort.
His defense is also still a work in progress against the physicality of professional players, and an 0-3 start will hurt someone who flirted with national championships the last two years in college.
However, these growing pains are to be expected. And in front of a crowd full of Clark and Iowa jerseys, there were enough highlights — namely his deep three-point range and his pinpoint passing — to impress both his fans and his teammates.
“We’re up here (on the podium), it’s respect,” Stewart said after Clark’s match.
“Yeah, I think the media needs to give him some grace and time,” Jones added. ‘She’s learning every game while he’s out there. And obviously, his impact on this league is going to be tremendous.”
For now, three games into his professional career and leading a rebuilding franchise, Clark has plenty of time and plenty of reasons to keep smiling before the honeymoon is over.