Caitlin Clark's rookie season came to an end after the Indiana Fever guard put on a show against the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night. Despite her 25 points, six rebounds and nine assists, Clark and Co. were sent home after a remarkable season.
Following Indiana's postseason elimination, analysts described what they saw from Clark during her first season. Two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike reflected on Clark's rookie campaign, comparing her impact to two legends of women's sports, on Thursday.
"Caitlin Clark came into the WNBA as the most impactful women's basketball player we've seen in this generation, and it took a combination of things both on and off the court. Off the court, attendance, viewership; on the court, breaking the single season of scoring record or the all-time scoring record in college. But now you see her in the WNBA and you can say the exact same thing," Ogwumike said.
"What she has been able to do has transcended not just women's basketball, but women's sports at this moment. The only other athletes that I can see recently in the past generation that have moved the needle like this, maybe Serena Williams, absolutely, and Simone Biles, who just came off the Olympics," she added.
Caitlin Clark ended the 2024 WNBA season playing 40 games, averaging 35.4 minutes per outing. She also registered 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 41.7% from he field, 34.4% from deep and 90.6% from the free-throw line.
Clark recorded 14 double-doubles and two triple-doubles (the first rookie to do so) taking the Indiana Fever to their first playoff appearance since 2016.
Caitlin Clark reveals offseason plans
After playing basketball non-stop from her final college season to her first WNBA campaign, Caitlin Clark had a lot of playing time on her legs. As her season ended, Clark was asked about her offseason plans. She replied that she's looking to master another sport (golf).
“I’m gonna play some golf. That’s what I’m gonna do until it becomes too cold in Indiana. I’ll become a professional golfer," Clark told reporters.
Clark and the Fever had a very busy season, going from a 1-9 start to a 20-20 final record and the sixth seed in the WNBA. She put on a good performance in her second and final playoff game of her team's season, demonstrating that if she gets the hang of the league, it would be difficult to stop her.
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