Caitlin Clark has taken the basketball world by storm in recent months. The Iowa product, who was selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever, drew eyes to the women’s basketball game like no one ever has.
Her record-setting performances at Iowa captured audiences, as Hawkeye games were among the most viewed sporting events in recent history. Everyone was tuning in to see Caitlin Clark go to work, knocking down long-range 3-pointers and handing out assists.
As she prepares for her rookie season in the WNBA, expectations are through the roof. Many people are expecting her to continue the success she had collegiately as a pro, helping the Fever turn things around instantly.
However, not everyone is convinced that will be happening. Lindsay Schnell, a WNBA writer for USA Today, revealed some bold predictions for the 2024 WNBA season. Not surprisingly, some of those predictions involved Caitlin Clark.
Schnell believes there will be an adjustment period needed from playing at Iowa to with the Fever. One of her predictions is that Hawkeye product is going to struggle to score early in her professional career.
“Defenders are going to be aggressive and physical with Clark, so it’s likely she’ll struggle to score at the clip she did in college,” Schnell wrote.
She does make a good point. Established veterans are going to challenge Caitlin Clark in the early going, wanting to show that she has to earn her standing in the league that so many people have already bestowed upon her.
The professional game is different than college, so there will assuredly be challenges Caitlin Clark faces. While Schnell believes scoring will be one of them, she is on the opposite end of the spectrum when it comes to the playmaking ability of the No. 1 pick.
“New York’s Courtney Vandersloot led the league last year in assists with 8.1 per game,” Schnell wrote. “But Clark can top that merely because she has so many great options to pass to, from 2023 Rookie of the Year [Aliyah] Boston to Kelsey Mitchell to NaLyssa Smith and others.
“Her passing will translate immediately, especially in transition,” Schnell said.
Expectations are through the roof for Caitlin Clark as she enters her first season in the WNBA. Schnell is going out on a limb with her prediction and it will be interesting to see just how fast the Iowa star adjusts to the professional game.
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