Caitlin Clark is a difficult grader.
In her 2024 rookie season with the Indiana Fever, the Iowa-legend-turned-WNBA-superstar drew extra seeing to girls’s skilled basketball within the U.S. than the league had ever unhidden. But all she would name her first skilled 12 months was once “solid.”
On Wednesday, the 22-year-old was once way more fascinated by what lay forward.
“I know there’s a lot of room for me to continue to improve,” Clark stated later the Fever had been knocked out of the playoffs via the Connecticut Solar.
“I feel like I had a solid year, but for me, the fun part is I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.”
The outside was once one of the crucial biggest seasons in WNBA historical past.
Clark’s rookie 12 months ended on a top be aware as she thrived in the second one part of the season, in particular later the WNBA returned from its Olympic crack. Nearest averaging 16.2 issues, 6.9 assists and 5.7 rebounds according to match within the first 20 contests, she averaged 22.3 issues, 10.0 assists and 5.7 rebounds according to match in the second one part of the familiar season.
Caitlin Clark is the primary rookie in WNBA historical past to have 25/5/5 in a playoff match. pic.twitter.com/84LX2vjsdG
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) September 26, 2024
That reach featured historical moments, together with the primary rookie triple-double in WNBA historical past and a single-game report of nineteen assists. Her 337 general assists had been essentially the most in a season in league historical past, pace her 1,333 blended issues, assists and rebounds had been essentially the most via a rookie in league historical past.
Her sturdy end to the season additionally propelled the Fever throughout the WNBA standings later Indiana started the season 1-8, a get started which mentor Christie Facets in comparison to getting “punched in the mouth.”
Nearest their speedy gelling and turnaround to manufacture the playoffs and snap an eight-year Fever postseason drought, Clark stated Wednesday her favourite moments of the life 12 months aren’t ones that lovers noticed at the courtroom, however the relationships constructed off it.
“At the end of the day, it’s the people and the relationships and the memories outside of that,” she stated. “If that’s not it for you as a professional athlete, I feel like you’re doing it wrong.
“Championships are great, hopefully, we have a few of those, but you want to have really good relationships with people at the end of the day.”
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(Photograph: Joe Buglewicz / Getty Photographs)
