Getty Image / Photo By Elsa
A lot of people thought that Caitlin Clark would enter the WNBA and instantly be the best player in the league. WNBA legends like Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi knew that wasn’t going to be true, but people didn’t listen.
Tuesday night was Caitlin Clark’s much-anticipated WNBA regular season debut on the road against the Connecticut Sun. Many expected her to dominate. Frankly, she was the one who was dominated.
Caitlin Clark was just 5-15 from the field, and had an astounding ten turnovers as the Fever were played off the floor by the Sun, 92-71. She finished with 20 points and 3 assists.
Clearly, Caitlin Clark is a better player than that, and will improve as the season goes on. But, in no fashion should people have expected her to be the best player immediately in a league full of the world’s best players. As good as women’s college basketball is, the talent gap between D1 WBB and the WNBA is bigger than D1 MBB and the NBA.
Back in April, Diana Taurasi, who is arguably the GOAT of women’s hoops, had this to say about Caitlin Clark.
“Reality is coming, there’s levels to this thing… You look superhuman playing against some 18 years olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time. not saying that it’s not going to translate, when you’re great at you do you’re just going to get better, but there is going to be a transition period when you have to give some grace as a rookie, it make take a little bit longer for some people.”
She took a lot of flak for those comments. But, she’s absolutely right! The speed of the game and overall athleticism is so much faster and better in the WNBA than college, and Caitlin Clark experienced that tonight. Remember, the WNBA only has twelve teams. Teams can carry as many as twelve players each, meaning that the league is the best 144 players, compared to around 400 in the NBA. Everyone is elite! A lot players were Team USA members at some point in their basketball journey growing up, and were likely all-conference players at minimum in a major conference.
Diana Taurasi is about to turn 42-years-old. She’s won everything there is to win in women’s basketball. She knows what she’s talking about, folks.
Caitlin Clark will look to redeem herself in her home-opener against a load New York Liberty team on Thursday.