When Caitlin Clark received word that she wouldn’t be on the United States women’s national team for the Paris Olympics, she texted her Indiana Fever coach, Christie Sides.
“They woke a monster,” Clark wrote, according to Sides.
In doing so, they also gave that monster some seemingly well-needed rest — a one-month break of recharging and refocusing that has a chance to change the dynamics of the rest of the WNBA season.
Clark is a different player — and a much better player — now than she was back in May as she jumped to the WNBA almost directly from a long season at Iowa. Some of that is getting adjusted to the pro game. Some of that is figuring out how to play with her teammates — and her teammates figuring out how to play with her.
And some of that, at least these last two games when she played her best professional basketball yet, might be finally getting a chance to exhale.
What is coming is uncharted territory. The Clark of last week is one of the best players in the WNBA, not just a promising rookie finding her footing. Can she maintain it? What about even improving on it?
The Fever — 12-7 since a 1-8 start — are firmly in position to make the playoffs. They play Saturday in a huge game against potential playoff opponent Minnesota, coached by Cheryl Reeve, who also led the U.S. women in the Olympics.
Indiana is still attracting massive television numbers. Last weekend, 2.3 million tuned into the Fever’s game against Seattle. That was 263% more than the next highest non-Fever game over the weekend (New York v. Las Vegas) and 454% higher than the next biggest.
Now imagine Clark playing at something close to her crowd-pleasing college level in the stretch run and actual playoff series?
The WNBA has historically struggled for attention once the NFL season begins. Maybe not in this case, though. Logo threes and no-look passes tend to turn heads. The Clark phenomenon isn’t slowing down, it’s growing.
Every so often a singular talent comes along and, for various reasons, connects with the public and lifts an entire sport — Tiger Woods, Lance Armstorng, even a Conor McGregor. They have to continue to be successful and exciting though for it to last, let alone snowball.
That’s the direction Clark is pointed in. That’s the monster.
In her 11 WNBA games before reports broke that she would be left off the Olympic roster, Clark averaged 15.6 points and 6.4 assists while shooting 35.7 percent from the floor and 29.7 from 3-point range.
In the 15 games between the announcement and the break, she upped all of that to 18.2 points and 9.5 assists while shooting 43.9 percent overall and 35.7 from behind the arc.
In two games since the WNBA’s return, it’s 26.0 points, 9.5 assists with 48.6% shooting. More importantly, the Fever won them both.
Clark, like every rookie in every league, had to deal with a new environment. As with every WNBA rookie, it came quickly — her Iowa season ended April 7 with a loss in the national title game. Eight days later she was drafted. Then came a move, training camp and the season opener on May 14.
More than that, she was instantly both the strategic, and emotional, defensive focus of every opponent.
“Reality is coming,” the legendary Diana Taurasi predicted.
Taurasi wasn’t wrong. It’s just now, maybe a different reality is coming. They can guard her, bump her, dismiss her or whatever, but Clark is finding her game anyway.
If Clark wasn’t — at least in the opinion of the USA Basketball selection committee — worthy of one of the coveted 12 roster spots before, she seemingly was by the time the torch got lit in France.
“If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people,” South Carolina coach Dawn Staley, a member of that committee, said on July 30.
Whatever. She wasn’t picked, the Americans won gold anyway.
And now Caitlin Clark looks even better — rested and ready for a monster of a finish.
