“Proper welcome to WNBA moment” - WNBA fans give Caitlin Clark tough time as DiJonai Carrington puts the clamps on No. 1 pick 

Indiana Fever top overall pick Caitlin Clark made her WNBA debut on Tuesday in a road game against the Connecticut Sun. She had early struggles, including on the defense put on her by DiJonai Carrington, and fans gave her a tough time for it on social media.

One play involved Carrington stealing the ball from Clark at half-court late in the second period, which resulted in a lay-up and Connecticut padding its lead to 46-31. It was part of of the Indiana rookie's 10 turnovers for the game.

Fans used the play to rub it to Clark as she began her WNBA journey. Below are what some of them wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

@sluggahjells underscored how the steal off Clark was a fitting welcome to the WNBA rookie moment, writing:

"Dijonai Carrington giving Caitlin Clark a proper 'Welcome to the #WNBA rook' moment"

X user Bella (@Bella428908519), for their part, moved to remind the former University of Iowa standout that she is now in the pros and would not have her way like she used to in college, saying:

"Caitlin Clark get ready for some real basketball now you're in the Pro no more little girl basketball"

@Freddie SmithIII simply said:

"It's going to get harder for her"

Others, meanwhile, gave props to Carrington for the tremendous defense she put on Clark.

X user Super Fan (@McGerforRousey2) was brief but direct with:

"'clamps'"

Michael Pierre (@mikeoils2) loved how Carrington approached her matchup with Caitlin Clark, saying:

"Like how she picked CC pockets. A1 defense fa show"

Still on the same line was @Brewin07 with:

"That ball pressure hit different"

@susanlyons summed up the kind of night that Clark had, writing:

"10 turnovers"

The Fever went on to lose the game, 92-71. Despite the 10 turnovers, Clark still finished with a team-high 20 points, to go along with three assists and two steals in 32 minutes of play.

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Caitlin Clark excited to have started WNBA journey

Caitlin Clark had it tough in her WNBA debut on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun, which culminated in a 92-71 loss. However, she made it clear that regardless of what happened in her maiden outing, she was excited to get her WNBA journey going.

The former Iowa Hawkeye had 20 points in her debut with the Fever but had 10 turnovers as she grappled with the solid defense put on her by the Sun. She also had a tough time shooting, going 5-of-15 from the field and 4-of-11 from three.

In a report that came out in the Associated Press ahead of her debut, Clark shared her frame of mind, saying:

"I don't feel nervous or really anxious. I think I'm just excited more than anything and just embracing it."

She went on to say that she is expecting to be given a far harder time in the pros but it was something she said she was ready for, relaying:

"If something isn't perfect, my life's not going to end. If, you know, we lose the game tonight, my life's not going to end. I'm just going to learn from it and come back on Thursday and try to help us win."

Next for the Fever is a home game against the New York Liberty on Thursday.