Strangest, hardest and most painful issues Caitlin Clark needed to endure as a WNBA rookie

Caitlin Clark’s rookie season is formally over. 

She and the Indiana Fever have been sweep victims of the Connecticut Solar and DiJonai Carrington in a collection the place Carrington gave the rookie a black eye in Recreation 1 and Clark needed to have an opposing fan eliminated in Recreation 2. All of the whereas, she solely managed a 35% subject objective proportion and simply 20% from 3. 

But it surely was hardly the primary troublesome week Clark had since school. The WNBA has been a punishing setting on a number of layers for the rookie phenom. And as nice as her expertise to be, she usually needed to face even higher obstacles and scrutiny as a result of transcendent highlight that was at all times above her. 

This is a glance again on the strangest, hardest and most painful rookie moments that Clark needed to expertise, all earlier than turning 23:

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Being pressured to provide a ‘Joyful Birthday’ efficiency

So far as unusual or laborious moments go, this one truly is not even unique to Clark. She was merely being indoctrinated right into a ritual throughout the Indiana Fever. Clark needed to sing Joyful Birthday to Fever teammate Lexie Hull on Sept. 13, which is customary for Fever rookies. 

“It is a robust job,” Clark mentioned. 

However Clark, being the one Fever rookie, needed to give a solo efficiency, she advised reporters that day. The Fever had three picks on this yr’s draft, however their different two picks, Celeste Taylor and Leilani Correa, didn’t final lengthy with the crew. Taylor now performs for Phoenix and Correa is a free agent. 

Getting known as the ‘B’ phrase on ESPN

ESPN host Pat McAfee used his nationally televised present on June 3 to seek advice from Clark as a ‘white b—-’ throughout a debate over whether or not she alone was accountable for an inflow in reputation of the WNBA and the way different veterans have been committing questionable fouls towards Clark. 

“I would really like the media those who proceed to say, ‘This rookie class, this rookie class, this rookie class.’ Nah, simply name it for what it’s – there’s one White b—- for the Indiana crew who’s a celebrity,” McAfee mentioned. 

McAfee later needed to apologize for the feedback however has continued to do his present on ESPN airwaves.

Practically getting suspended over calls she disagreed with

Clark completed the common season with six technical fouls. If she had accrued yet another earlier than the final recreation of the season, she would have been dealt a one-game suspension, which might have left a darkish mark on her in any other case pristine rookie season.

Clark even mentioned she disagreed with greater than one of many technical fouls that have been known as towards her throughout a press convention after a loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Sept. 6. 

“It stinks as a result of I really feel like half of my technicals this yr, I received one for that inadvertent contact to the face within the Minnesota recreation after which two for hitting the stanchion of the basket,” Clark mentioned. “One was a whole accident, after which the opposite two have been just a bit frustration with myself. So, I feel I might have achieved a greater job holding my feelings in test, however on the identical time, like, … actually?” 

Clark’s head coach, Christie Sides, insisted Clark needed to transfer on. 

Getting a black eye in her first playoff recreation

The Fever’s Recreation 1 loss to the Solar on Sunday concerned an incident within the first quarter when Carrington stabbed Clark’s eye along with her lengthy fingernail. 

Carrington struck Clark whereas attempting to dam a cross from Clark within the first quarter. Sluggish-motion footage confirmed Carrington bending her hand whereas coming down from the block try, pointing her nails in Clark’s face. Even worse for Clark, no foul was known as on the play. 

Later within the week, Carrington mentioned the poke wasn’t intentional. Clark additionally mentioned she did not assume it was intentional when she was requested about it. 

So as to add insult to damage, Carrington has additionally antagonized Clark and her followers on a number of events previously. On June 13, Carrington made a publish on X calling out Clark for not doing extra to talk out about folks utilizing her title for “racism” and different types of prejudice, despite the fact that the rookie phenom has condemned racism and misogyny in public statements. 

“Dawg. How one can’t be bothered by their title getting used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of all of them is nuts,” Carrington wrote. “All of us see the [s—]. All of us have a platform. All of us have a voice & all of them maintain weight. Silence is a luxurious.”

SUN STAR ALYSSA THOMAS RIPS FEVER FANS OVER ALLEGED RACISM AFTER ELIMINATING INDIANA FROM WNBA PLAYOFFS

Getting left off the US Olympic crew

The choice to depart Clark off the U.S. girls’s Olympic basketball crew sparked an uproar of backlash from followers, new and outdated.

It did not price the crew a gold medal in Paris, however it did probably stop the crew from getting extra publicity and visibility through the Video games. 

Daybreak Staley, the pinnacle coach of the reigning NCAA girls’s basketball champion South Carolina Gamecocks, who beat Clark and Iowa within the closing final season, even recommended Clark ought to have had extra consideration. 

“If we needed to do it once more, the way in which that she’s taking part in, she could be in actually excessive consideration of creating the crew as a result of she is taking part in head and shoulders above lots of people.”

Staley was a part of the committee that elected to depart Clark off the crew. 

Having alleged screenshots of a personal dialog leaked by a WNBA legend

WNBA Corridor of Famer Sheryl Swoopes, the primary participant ever to be drafted by the WNBA, is now a girls’s basketball broadcaster and commentator. She has been criticized this season for being overly crucial of Clark at instances. However her tried criticisms as soon as ventured near slander when Swoopes recommended that Clark performed 5 years at Iowa and received an additional yr of eligibility as a result of COVID-19 pandemic.  

Swoopes made the feedback throughout an look on “Gil’s Enviornment” podcast in February in an effort to discredit the truth that Clark broke the NCAA all-time scoring document. 

Then on Sept. 2, Swoopes posted alleged screenshots of a dialog with a contact named Clark by which she apologized for the statements. 

Later that week, Swoopes even needed to host an X Areas occasion the place she defined why she made the false statements about Clark’s profession however mentioned she would not apologize to anybody else however Clark. 

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Getting knocked to the ground a number of instances by Chicago Sky gamers on flagrant foul performs 

Clark and the Fever discovered a transparent rival within the Chicago Sky this previous yr. Clark’s rivalry with Sky rookie Angel Reese dated again to their school careers earlier than this season. However Clark additionally received a wholesome introduction to Reese’s latest teammates in 4 video games between the 2 groups this yr. 

Clark took an notorious unlawful hip test from Chicago Sky ahead Chennedy Carter on June 1 when the Sky participant charged proper into the Fever rookie and knocked her down throughout a stoppage in play. Clark mentioned after the sport that Carter’s hit “was not a basketball play.”

Carter then refused to reply questions in regards to the incident on the postgame press convention however used her social media to repeatedly criticize Clark.

“That’s that on that trigger beside 3-point capturing what does she deliver to the desk man,” Carter wrote in reply to a publish about her postgame press convention on Threads.

In August, Sky participant Diamond DeShields despatched Clark flying after which sliding throughout the hardwood on a play that was later upgraded to a flagrant-1 foul.

After the sport, DeShields posted a screenshot of her notifications checklist on Instagram, which included a string of hate feedback from a consumer. The feedback have been a couple of tumor DeShields overcame in 2020.

However Reese additionally received on this checklist when she slammed her arm onto Clark’s head whereas attempting to dam a layup in a recreation between the 2 groups on June 16. 

Clark and the Fever can at the very least take solace in realizing they beat the Sky in three of their 4 conferences this yr. 

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