If there’s anyone who understands the growing pains Caitlin Clark is feeling in Year 3, perhaps it’s Liberty star Sabrina Ionescu.
Both were elite college stars and sharpshooters.
Both broke records and are triple-double threats.
Both went No. 1 overall in their respective draft classes and entered the league with a lot of outside expectations.
Over the last week, much has been made about Clark’s defense.
Teams are actively hunting her in order to exploit her deficiencies.
Ionescu, whether she wanted to admit it, has been in Clark’s situation.
Early in her career, she was an obvious defensive liability.
She’s since improved.
Some of that is because of her experience and increased awareness.
She’s also stepped up her physical conditioning to ensure she can be effective on defense while also carrying a heavy offensive burden.
“When you’re out a whole year with an ankle injury, people know that and when you come back, they’re coming at you, testing your lateral foot speed, especially after a debilitating injury,” Ionescu said Friday after practice. “So for me, it was a lot more of having to improve on the strength of what I had injured and work on my body in that way.”
A lot of premier scorers, including Kelsey Plum, Jalen Brunson and James Harden, get targeted on defense.
Ionescu said she doesn’t pay attention to other players in the league.
But she believes time and experience can help a player manage holding their own.
“Actually, I think the more that you play in this league, the more you continue to kind of learn personnel, learn defenses, learn different things that can help you,” she said. “Everyone can continue to evolve because you don’t want to be singled out in any way. So I think the stronger, the more confident you get, that all helps as well.”
Friday was Ionescu’s first team practice in almost two weeks.
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Ionescu has been sidelined with a sore back since she made her season debut May 24 against the Dallas Wings.
She’s been doing individual workouts and said she’s been taking every day in stride.
“Getting better day by day,” Ionescu said.
Coach Chris DeMarco said she’s questionable for Saturday’s game.
