Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark’s debut season is off to a slower start than expected, but these first few games won’t define her career.
Lakers superstar LeBron James stood up for Clark in the latest episode of his “Mind the Game” podcast with J.J. Redick. He relates to the 22-year-old rookie carrying the weight of an entire league on her shoulders, he told Redick.
The WNBA’s newest superstar is starting to experience the negatives of being in the limelight after dominating college basketball for four years at Iowa.
Clark is averaging a solid 17.0 points and 5.5 assists per game, but she also has more turnovers (26) than assists (22) and is shooting just 34.3% from 3. The Fever have lost their first four games of the season, joining the Washington Mystics as the only two teams without a win through Tuesday.
The adjustment to the WNBA hasn’t been as seamless as Clark would have hoped, and criticism creeping up because of the unprecedented attention she is bringing to the league.
Still, Clark has James in her corner, and there aren’t many more people in sports more qualified to speak on such pressure than the 39-year-old NBA legend.
MORE: LeBron James lays blueprint for Bronny to succeed in the NBA
LeBron James speaks to Caitlin Clark’s impact on the WNBA
Instead of focusing on her early-season struggles, James chose to shine a light on the positives Clark is bringing to the WNBA in her rookie season.
“The one thing that I love that she’s bringing to her sport, more people want to watch. More people want to tune in. Don’t get it twisted. Don’t get it f—ed up. Caitlin Clark is the reason a lot of great things are going to happen for the WNBA,” James said.
He’s not wrong, either. While it is not solely because of Clark, there is no denying that the young star’s arrival played a major role in bringing more nationally televised WNBA games and chartered flights for WNBA teams.
MORE: Caitlin Clark TV ratings: Tracking WNBA viewership records
James related to what Clark is going through, as she plays under a microscope as one of the most hyped WNBA prospects of all time.
“For her, individually, I don’t think she should get involved on nothing that’s being said,” James said. “Just go have fun, enjoy.
“I’m rooting for Caitlin because I’ve been in that seat before. I’ve walked that road before. I hope she kills. I hope Aliyah Boston does amazing. I hope they do great.”
Here’s what @KingJames has to say about @CaitlinClark22 and the hate that she has received during her time in the WNBA.
Watch the full episode with @jj_redick: https://t.co/5hyyY2bIhe pic.twitter.com/db4Jvj7OFD
— Mind the Game (@mindthegamepod) May 22, 2024
MORE: Why Clark’s slow start is no cause for concern
James also tied Clark’s criticism to what he’s experiencing with his son Bronny, who is going through the 2024 NBA Draft process with a bright spotlight.
“I’m kind of in this mode right now because I’m getting the same thing from watching [Bronny], who’s a 19-year-old who’s getting a lot of animosity and hate towards him when he’s just a kid trying to live out his dream,” James said.
“There’s a very small number of men and women that actually get to live out their dream of playing a professional sport. And we have grown a— men and women out here, doing whatever they can, to try and make sure that does not happen. … It is what it is, but I’m glad that Caitlin has a great head on her shoulders.”
Clark still has 36 more games in her rookie WNBA season, giving the Fever star plenty of time to get things on track. Indiana has three more games this week, facing the Storm on Wednesday, the Sparks on Friday and the Aces on Saturday.
