Caitlin Clark received her “welcome to the WNBA” moment right out of the gate Tuesday night in Connecticut.
Clark struggled in her professional debut at Mohegan Sun Arena. The No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft scored a team-high 20 points, but she shot 33% from the floor and committed a game-high 10 (!) turnovers in the Fever’s 21-point loss to the Sun.
Connecticut’s stifling defense made life very difficult for Clark, who surely realized quickly that she wasn’t going to be able to score at will as she did for most of her Iowa tenure. The Sun’s social media team had a little fun at Clark’s expense the morning after the season opener, quote-tweeting a video of the 22-year-old getting blocked by guard Rachel Banham.
“Top 3 defense in the league for a reason,” the Sun’s official X account posted. “Welcome to the W!”
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Clark highlighted Connecticut’s physicality after the game when she assessed her pro debut. The Hawkeyes product admitted she was “disappointed” by her own performance and the Fever’s loss, but she wasn’t going to dwell too much on one game.
A league MVP betting favorite, Clark will try to bounce back Thursday night when she plays her first home game with the Fever, who are set to host Sabrina Ionescu, Breanna Stewart and the New York Liberty.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
