Caitlin Clark admits WNBA is 'a little fast for me right now'

Two games into Caitlin Clark’s WNBA career, and we’ve seen mixed results for the former Iowa basketball superstar. The Indiana Fever are 0-2, which isn’t much of a change from last season’s 13-27 record, but they’re also scoring the fewest points in the league after ranking seventh a season ago.

In other words, adding arguably women’s college basketball’s best scorer hasn’t led to an instant spark of offense. Clark’s giving it her all, and she is averaging 14.5 points per game, the most on her team, but she also leads the WNBA with 13 turnovers.

Caitlin Clark struggling with WNBA’s physicality and pace of play

Clark’s had moments of glory, such as scoring 20 points in her WNBA debut, yet she’ll also be the first to admit that there’s a lot of room for growth in the 22-year-old’s future.

Clark admitted to ESPN’s Michael Voepel she’s struggling with some areas early on in her WNBA career, such as the sheer strength and physicality of the game in the pros. Another aspect was the pace of play, which she said was “a little fast.”

“The physicality is definitely up there. … I’m easily pushed off screens. The game seems a little fast for me right now. The more I play and the more comfortable I get, it’s going to slow down a little bit. It will be easier for me to make reads, see things develop.”
Caitlin Clark on WNBA’s pace of play

Upon first notice, Clark’s admissions raise eyebrows. A basketball icon saying the game she’s been playing since she was a kid is suddenly too fast? This is completely normal for players who take their game to the next level, whether going from high school to college or making the jump to the pros.

Clark’s honesty is refreshing, and she’s been here before. While Clark may not have had similar struggles when she first arrived at Iowa, she’s now playing with the best players in the sport; of course, there’s going to be growing pains.

With 38 more contests to go, she’ll have plenty of time to acclimate to the WNBA’s pace of play. The biggest key is how she adjusts, but at least Clark already realizes she needs to step her game up.