The next chapters of Caitlin Clark’s life begin today.
The talented shooting guard from the University of Iowa is likely to be the No. 1 pick in the upcoming WNBA draft, and would be going to play in Indianapolis, a 5 1/2-hour drive from Iowa City.
The Indiana Fever are likely already preparing all manner of marketing, publicity, and other opportunities for Clark once she touches down for training camp before the summer season. And, of course, there’s that matter of whether or not Clark can break into the U.S. women’s national basketball team’s lineup in the run-up to Paris 2024.
Clark has an enormous amount of natural talent, for sure, especially when it comes to long-range shooting. The question is, whether that talent alone is going to be able to give her success in the professional and international game.
For sure, Clark is a very strong player, but is going to have to be able to withstand the rigors of a WNBA season. The Fever would do well to give her a strength and conditioning program to be able to have her be available for not only a 40-game WNBA season, but for an Olympic schedule where the United States would be obligated to play six games in 15 days, each with a higher intensity than the next.
Clark is not only going to have to be physically ready, but mentally ready. She will be going against professionals who will have already studies tapes of her game action at Iowa and will be creating defensive schemes to try to stop her.
The maturation of Caitlin Clark, the pro athlete, is going to be one which is fraught with peril. But if she can turn the Fever into a contender, she is going to have more attention than ever, something she handles better than most professional athletes these days.
I hope she can make it.
