Caitlin Clark still isn’t at her best for the Indiana Fever despite breaking another WNBA record, says Jason Whitlock.
After posting a career-high 300 points, 100 rebounds and 100 assists in record time last week (19 games), Clark etched her name into the history books once again on Saturday night by becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double.
The 22-year-old sensation finished with 19 points, 13 assists and 12 rebounds in the Fever’s 83-78 win over the league-best New York Liberty before being doused by her teammates in jubilant scenes afterward.
However, despite his historic night, Whitlock believes Indiana is not handling it properly.
In a post on X, the conservative sportscaster claimed that Clark is “exhausted” after playing between 38 and 39 minutes of each game, which she feels is “killing her shot” on the court.
Caitlin Clark is not yet at her best for Indiana Fever, says Jason Whitlock
“I enjoyed the win and the triple-double. Caitlin Clark is great,” Whitlock wrote. “However, she can’t keep playing 38 or 39 minutes every game. She’s exhausted and it’s affecting her shooting ability.
“He looks for opportunities to rest at both ends of the court. He needs to play 34 or 35 minutes.”
Clark’s average of 16.1 points per game is the 16th-highest in the WNBA this season and the highest for a rookie, followed by Chicago Sky rival Angel Reese’s 14.1.
Whitlock had previously attacked Reese amid her current feud with Clark and insinuated that she is not on the same level as her former college nemesis, while even calling her current double-double streak a “made-up” statistic.
However, last week the podcast host did a U-turn and suggested that Reese has a “real chance” to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
“There’s going to be a legitimate case for Angel Reese to be rookie of the year, and I’m going to say that for a couple of different reasons,” he said.
‘Caitlin Clark’s plus/minus is one of the worst in the league. I think out of 145 or 146 players, she ranks 140th in plus/minus. A couple of her teammates are down there, too.
Whitlock believes Clark is “burned out” after playing too many minutes in her rookie season
Conservative podcast host says her courtside shooting is being ‘deleted’ as a result
Clark is currently competing with Angel Reese for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award.
‘Caitlin Clark leads the league in turnovers and is shooting 33 percent of her three-pointers, and she’s going through scoring droughts during the game that hurt her team. She’s a woman who led the NCAA in scoring for two years in a row, she’s the all-time leading scorer… she’s not an effective scorer in the WNBA.
‘I know she averages 16 points per game, but I’ve seen every game. She’s a very inefficient shooter, she has the 8-meter long three-pointer, that’s in her bag. Every now and then she gets to the rim and gets a layup.
‘But between the turnovers, the plus-minus, the fact that she’s missing 70 percent of the threes she’s taken… Caitlin Clark has been a great box-office player. But on the other hand, Angel Reese… I don’t believe the double-double thing at all. It’s a gimmick and a statistic that they pulled out of nowhere.
“But she leads the league in rebounding. That’s a real stat, that’s a real contribution. She’s doing it as a rookie. This Rookie of the Year race is closer than a lot of people think.”