Caitlin Clark is a tricky grader.
In her 2024 rookie season with the Indiana Fever, the Iowa-legend-turned-WNBA-superstar drew extra eyes to girls’s skilled basketball within the U.S. than the league had ever seen. But all she would name her first skilled 12 months was “strong.”
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old was way more targeted on what lay forward.
“I do know there’s a number of room for me to proceed to enhance,” Clark mentioned after the Fever have been knocked out of the playoffs by the Connecticut Solar.
“I really feel like I had a strong 12 months, however for me, the enjoyable half is I really feel like I’m simply scratching the floor.”
The floor was one of many best seasons in WNBA historical past.
Clark’s rookie 12 months ended on a excessive be aware as she thrived within the second half of the season, significantly after the WNBA returned from its Olympic break. After averaging 16.2 factors, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds per recreation within the first 20 contests, she averaged 22.3 factors, 10.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds per recreation within the second half of the common season.
Caitlin Clark is the primary rookie in WNBA historical past to have 25/5/5 in a playoff recreation. pic.twitter.com/84LX2vjsdG
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 26, 2024
That stretch featured historic moments, together with the primary rookie triple-double in WNBA historical past and a single-game document of 19 assists. Her 337 complete assists have been essentially the most in a season in league historical past, whereas her 1,333 mixed factors, assists and rebounds have been essentially the most by a rookie in league historical past.
Her robust end to the season additionally propelled the Fever by the WNBA standings after Indiana started the season 1-8, a begin which coach Christie Sides in comparison with getting “punched within the mouth.”
After their fast gelling and turnaround to make the playoffs and snap an eight-year Fever postseason drought, Clark mentioned Wednesday her favourite moments of the previous 12 months aren’t ones that followers noticed on the courtroom, however the relationships constructed off it.
“On the finish of the day, it’s the folks and the relationships and the reminiscences exterior of that,” she mentioned. “If that’s not it for you as knowledgeable athlete, I really feel such as you’re doing it fallacious.
“Championships are nice, hopefully, now we have a couple of of these, however you wish to have actually good relationships with folks on the finish of the day.”
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(Picture: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photographs)