Caitlin Clark has slammed her critics demanding ‘instant satisfaction’ from her and the Indiana Fever after the team’s third straight win on Wednesday night, an 88-81 triumph over the Washington Mystics.
Clark and the Fever were hit hard by critics after the team lost its first five games of the season and eight of its first nine.
Indiana has since turned a corner, going 5-2 in its last seven games, including a four-game win streak at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
Right now, the Fever hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the WNBA despite its 6-10 record.
Clark made sure to put her professional journey in perspective for her doubters after the win over Washington.
Clark and the Fever improved to 6-10 on Wednesday night with a victory over the Mystics
Clark spoke about her doubters’ need for ‘instant satisfaction’ after the win over Washington
‘I think everybody just loves instant stratification in our world,’ Clark said. ‘No one came in here and said we were going to be WNBA Champions from day No 1 in our locker room.’
‘That was never our goal,’ Clark added. ‘Our goal was to get back to the playoffs and we’re fighting for that every single night. This is the first time we’ve won four home games in a row since 2015.
‘You have to have perspective on things, and that goes for life too. Like have perspective on life,’ Clark continued. ‘And there just needs to be solid perspective on what this team can accomplish. And I think everybody in our locker room had that. Nobody ever hung our heads.’
‘We had the hardest schedule to start. We didn’t get to practice much and we’re playing with the most inexperienced team in the WNBA,’ Clark said. ‘So I think this group is starting to click and build some chemistry and it’s one day at a time.
‘But like I said, everybody loves instant satisfaction. But sure, we would have probably loved that too. But I think we kept a good perspective on knowing we need to get better one step at a time,’ Clark concluded.
Clark has been under a microscope from not only the public, but other WNBA players too
Clark has been targeted for physical play throughout her first two months in the WNBA
Clark and the Fever have a chance to extend their winning streak to four games overall on Friday on the road against the Atlanta Dream, who hold the No 7 spot in the WNBA standings.
Clark’s first two months in the WNBA have not been smooth sailing as she’s dealt with physical play and people believing she’s receiving unfair treatment.
On Sunday, constant Clark rival Angel Reese committed a flagrant foul against her when the Chicago Sky star missed a block and swatted the former Iowa star in the head, sending her to the court in pain.
After the game, Reese said the Fever and Clark received a ‘special whistle’.
That foul came several days after Reese’s Sky teammate, Chennedy Carter, hip-checked Clark, drawing ire on social media for a play not in good faith in basketball.
Connecticut Sun star DiJonai Carrington also recently called out Clark for her silence in a ‘culture war’.
Reese and Clark – pictured at the WNBA Draft – have been fierce rivals so far this season
With the skyrocketing in popularity of women’s basketball, much on Clark’s back, the attention has come some using her name being weaponized to spread racism and misogyny, something Clark pushed back on last week.
Carrington had taken issue with Clark’s lack of a brash statement to disassociate herself from those things. Then, she showed up at Clark’s game hours after a posting a tweet calling her out.
‘Dawg. How one can not be bothered by their name being used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia & the intersectionalities of them all is nuts. We all see the s***. We all have a platform. We all have a voice & they all hold weight. Silence is a luxury,’ Carrington tweeted.
Clark’s rebuttal of people weaponizing her name also happened hours before tipoff of Fever-Dream.
‘It’s disappointing,’ Clark said. ‘Everybody in our world deserves the same amount of respect. The women in our league deserve the same amount of respect.
‘People should not be using my name for those agendas. It’s disappointing. It’s not acceptable,’ Clark continued.
WNBA legend Lisa Leslie shared an in-depth conversation with Las Vegas Aces president Nikki Fargas, revealing some incredible insight on the rise of women’s basketball.
Leslie credits the game’s recent popularity to players like A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark, two players with massive followings on and off the court.
She believes the league has a great opportunity to grow and develop through stars and up-and-coming rookies. Leslie spoke on her responsibilities as a star in the league when it was first introduced.
“For the WNBA to be established, I understood that it was more than just about me and numbers. It was about relationships, building community, kissing babies, signing every autograph. Back then, we used to have to sit and sign autographs for anybody who got in line. We weren’t on a timer; we didn’t get to go shower. We would sit and literally sign for anyone who wanted an autograph,” said Leslie via Las Vegas Aces YouTube.
Leslie was a pioneer for change in women’s basketball. She ended her career as a 3x WNBA MVP, 2x WNBA Champion, and 8x WNBA All-Star.
Jun 10, 2024; Uncasville, Connecticut, USA; Indiana Fever forward Aliyah Boston (7) and guard Caitlin Clark (22) react after a basket against the Connecticut Sun in the first quarter at Mohegan Sun Arena.
David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Leslie highlighted the collective effort and personal sacrifices needed to build and expand the WNBA while she was one of the league’s biggest names. She thought focusing on community building in terms of fan recognition would help the league rise.
“I really understood that in order for us to grow our league, for the WNBA to really have lasting power, we had to give of ourselves and not ask for a whole lot in return. It’s one of those things when you look at the history of women. There are times when we get a chance to vote or to have a voice or a seat at the table. Every time and space has its moment. We couldn’t say all of the things that we thought. We couldn’t be as bold as an Angel Reese can be now, which I love, but it wasn’t that time,” continued Leslie.
During her time in the WNBA from 1997 to 2009, Leslie had her eyes set on leaguewide change. She wanted fans and media to view women’s basketball as an established sport and knew that she needed television and sponsorship deals to attract attention to the league.
“That time was for us to build. It was for us to do a lot of things for free that we should have been paid for but weren’t. It was about getting to the table with all of these sponsors and the possibilities of growing our league. We needed sponsorship dollars—not for the player, but for the league to exist. We needed television deals.”
Reflecting on different eras, Leslie discussed the unique challenges each faced, stressing the importance of sacrifices and foundational work for the league’s survival.
“So, when you look at us as a product, I always knew that our games were amazing, but I understood we had a responsibility to every new fan who came to the game, especially the men. We had to show out. I had to show up. I didn’t have time to have days off,” said Leslie.
“Our level of responsibility was trying to get people to not walk out that door and to invite someone else to come in.”
Players like Clark and Wilson have certainly helped Leslie achieve that goal. Their elite play on the court and the immense fanfare that they have developed outside of basketball has truly helped the game grow.
The Phoenix Mercury are in a groove, having won four of their last five games, including Tuesday night’s 99-93 home win over the New York Liberty. Just before that game, Mercury players were asked to give their impersonation of teammate, Brittney Griner. At least two of them tried to accuse Griner of an unpleasant locker room crime.
“That’s all she do, all day. Fart,” said guard Kahleah Copper.
“BG just be fartin’. I don’t know if you all know that about her, but she be blowing a** in that locker room,” added guard Natasha Cloud.
Even though they exposed Griner’s hilarious habit, they definitely love and appreciate the veteran being active again after a toe injury forced her to miss the Mercury’s first 10 games of the 2024 WNBA regular season.
In the win over the Liberty, Griner dropped 19 points on 8 of 13 shooting from the floor to go with four rebounds, two assists and two blocks in 31 minutes of action.
Griner is fueling the Mercury’s ongoing surge. She is consistently providing Phoenix with efficient offense, rebounding and imposing defensive presence in the paint. Before Griner’s return, the Mercury went 1-5 over a tough six-game stretch.
