WNBA legend Lisa Leslie praised Caitlin Clark for her transformative impact on the league as Clark prepares for her second season with the Indiana Fever.
Leslie, a former Los Angeles Sparks superstar, spoke to Sports Illustrated about Clark’s influence and the Fever’s potential to contend for the WNBA championship.
“Let me just say, Caitlin Clark has had an amazing impact on the WNBA,” the three-time league MVP told the outlet. “Her ability to come out and play, especially after her college season. And then to come into the WNBA and just really have the effect that she did, it was really outstanding. I was so proud of Caitlin.”
Leslie went on to predict some good things lie ahead for last season’s Rookie of the Year.
“So when you talk about Caitlin in her sophomore year, she’s more seasoned, she has had time to rest. She’s had time to really regroup and see exactly where she wants to go,” she said.
“I don’t want to put too much pressure. I think the Indiana Fever, as far as on paper, looks amazing. Now they’ve got to put it all together.”
Lisa Leslie Excited to see What 2025 Brings For Caitlin Clark and the League
Leslie highlighted Caitlin Clark’s ability to draw massive fan interest, noting that games are sold out and some teams have moved to larger arenas to accommodate demand.
She emphasized Clark’s seamless transition from college to the WNBA, calling her effect “outstanding” and expressing pride in her achievements.
“It’s going to be exciting, so I’m sure fans will tune in. Everything’s already sold out,” she said. “And some teams, when Caitlin comes to town, they’ve already had to get into larger arenas.”
“So all of those things about the Caitlin Clark effect are true.”
Has Some Advice For Angel Reese
It’s not the first time Leslie has praised Caitlin Clark’s value to the entire league. In an interview in March, she offered some advice to players in the league griping about the Fever star and her success: “Stop it.”
Leslie explained the main thing that players jealous of Clark don’t seem to get – when she’s getting positive attention, the league is getting attention.
“I think we have to understand that when one player eats, we’re all eating and we all get more opportunities. It just opens it up for everyone else,” she said.
“I love that she’s not the player that makes it all about her. She’s given love and homage to the players that have come before her. She shares the wealth with her teammates, and she doesn’t have to do that.”
Leslie also recently offered to help fix a particular aspect of Chicago Sky star Angel Reese’s game – the ever-challenging layup.
“The biggest advice I have for you is going to be how you shoot your layups, period,” Leslie said. “Like, we’re gonna fix that. That’s fixable for you.”
Reese was so poor at shooting layups during her rookie season that fans suspected the misses were intentional in paddling her rebounding stats.
