The highly anticipated debut of Indiana Fever #1 overall pick Caitlin Clark kicks off tonight against the Connecticut Sun and with it the most hyped season in WNBA history. The Iowa product is by far the most generational prospect in WNBA history and with that hype comes incredibly high expectations. Right from the start of her pro career due in large part to the fanfare and anticipation of her rookie season has caused somewhat unrealistic expectations for a rookie. I have no doubt Clark will be a great player for years to come but what are fair expectations for her in her rookie WNBA season?
Clark was a scoring machine averaging 28.4 points per game in her legendary four years at Iowa University. Her specialty was her three point shooting as she was very effective at shooting the ball from deep as she shot 37.7% from three point range in college. Though her outside shooting touch will continue to be a major part of her game I don't expect her to be a prolific scorer at the WNBA level right away. A sometimes underappreciated part of her game is her passing ability as she can easily be one of the best passers in the WNBA. With the attention she draws on the court with her outside shooting ability expect defenses to key on her leaving open opportunities for her Fever teammates. Clark averaged 8.2 assists per game in college without having a lot of WNBA caliber talent around her which won't be a problem at the next level.
The addition of Caitlin Clark is a major pick up for the Indiana Fever who were one of the worst teams in the WNBA last season. Clark's arrival has brought a lot of attention to the team but don't expect a lot of wins right away for the Fever. Their primary issue will continue to be defense as Indiana had the worse defense in the league last year and Clark is not known as a defensive stopper. Indiana will likely need time to build around their cornerstones in last years first overall pick Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark before they can compete with the upper echelon teams in the WNBA. Clark will likely have more individual success than team success early on as she will be a rookie of the year favorite and will likely garner a tremendous amount of All-Star votes as well.
Caitlin Clark's ascension to the WNBA will bring well deserved attention and coverage to the league as a whole which will be a turning point for a future that Clark will be at the center of. As she evolves into a player that I believe can be a face of the league type figure her rookie year will be an adjustment period that will benefit her in the long run. Although she will likely not win the MVP award in her rookie year like the future hall of famer Candace Parker, I still expect her to be one of the most impressive rookies of a historic 2024 WNBA draft class.
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