Aubrey Plaza discusses Caitlin Clark calling her an 'athlete' after WNBA All-Star weekend injury: "I can handle a ball"

Actress Aubrey Plaza recently discussed her background in basketball months after Caitlin Clark called her an athlete. Plaza famously suffered a torn ACL in her right knee while playing knockout at the Phoenix Mercury's new practice facility at the 2024 All-Star Weekend.

Speaking as a special guest on "TODAY with Hoda & Jenna", Plaza was promoting her new coming-of-age movie titled "My Old Ass". The 40-year-old actress was asked about her knee injury and how she felt when the Indiana Fever superstar guard called her an athlete on Instagram.

"Actually, Caitlin Clark called me an athlete," Plaza said. "My sister Natalie and I were at the WNBA All-Star Weekend and we were touring the new Phoenix Mercury practice facility for the team. Team USA was practicing as well.

We were playing knockout, just like a shooting game. I played in high school, I played as an adult. I played in the adult Los Angeles Municipal League, I believe that’s what it's called. (I played) point guard. Yeah, I can handle a ball."

Aubrey Plaza is a fan of basketball and has been seen in a handful of WNBA games over the years, including at the Barclays Center to watch the New York Liberty. She even starred as herself in a documentary film called "The Pistol Shrimps" about a female recreational basketball team in 2016.

She suffered a torn ACL during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Weekend back in July. She received a lot of funny and supportive messages from many basketball stars, including Clark, who called her an "athlete" in one of her posts on Instagram.

In addition to "My Old A**," Aubrey Plaza is set to star in several films such as "Megalopolis", "Animal Friends", "The Ark and the Aardvark" and "Honey Don't!" She also currently stars in the Disney+ series "Agatha All Along," which is part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, as Rio Vidal.

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Caitlin Clark ready to step out of the spotlight this offseason

Caitlin Clark ready to step out of the spotlight this offseason. (Photo: IMAGN)

Caitlin Clark seems ready to get out of the spotlight after more than a year without a break from her busy schedule. Clark told reporters during her exit interview with the Indiana Fever that she'll be enjoying her long vacation.

"I don't know what I'm going to really do (but) it's going to be nice though," Clark said. "I think getting out of the spotlight and just getting to live my life and do things that I want to do.

Not have to sit in like, I love talking to all of you, but it's going to be nice to not have to sit in front of a microphone multiple times a week. I really appreciate all of you, but it will be nice to kind of get away and relax for a little bit." (8:43 onward)

Clark's season ended on Wednesday when the Fever lost to the Connecticut Sun in Game 2 of their first-round series matchup.