Caitlin Clark is the most hyped WNBA rookie of all-time, whether the old heads want to admit it or not. She is the greatest scorer in college basketball history!
However, Indiana Fever head coach Christie Sides wants to break the No. 1 overall pick’s bad habits to help her reach her full potential.
Diana Taurasi warned Clark that “reality is coming” prior to the Draft. Brittney Griner recently echoed her teammate’s sentiments to say that Clark will experience “growing pains” in the WNBA, like she did when she left Baylor as the first pick in 2013.
Neither of those things were true during the Fever’s first preseason game of the 2024 season. Clark balled out with 16 points in her debut.
Indiana’s second preseason game of the year was not quite as strong in terms of scoring.
Although Clark went just 4-of-12 from the field, third-year veteran NaLyssa Smith was quick to shut down the narrative that her new backcourt counterpart had an “off night.” Rather, she created opportunities and facilitated the offense. Had a few of her teammates made some easy layups off of an assist, the 22-year-old would have recorded a double-double!
With that being said, there is room for some fine tuning. It stems primarily from Clark’s shot selection.
Caitlin Clark finished last night with 12/8/6 shooting 4/12 from the field and 2/9 from 3. While not her most efficient shooting night, she played an effective floor game.
— Natalie Esquire 🇯🇲 (@natfluential) May 10, 2024
Christie Sides spoke about her shot selection and habits they’re trying to get her to break from college. pic.twitter.com/VWqFEsvNyw
Sides implemented a new rule to help with the transition to the next level.
I think she’s used to some shots that she’s taken in the last few years that are just those deep shots. She’s gonna get open looks. She’s gotta figure out— I gave her a rule the other day. She’s got 0.5 seconds to make a decision.
— Christie Sides
At Iowa, Clark was the primary scorer in every single situation. She often carried her team to victory behind 30-point+ performances. As illustrated by the Fever’s win on Thursday night, that will not always be the case in the WNBA!
When she gets off the ball and she hits somebody in the high post, she has a habit of hanging out and dancing. That’s what she’s done. It’s these habits that we’ve gotta break.
— Christie Sides
The second-year coach’s comments are not about Caitlin Clark’s ability to facilitate as a floor general. Nor is she telling her to shoot less often or not take open looks. Rather, much like Steve Kerr and Steph Curry, Sides simply wants Clark to adjust her shot selection for how she is defended!