The 28th historicWNBA regular season concluded yesterday, setting the stage for the playoffs that kick off this Sunday. The first round will be a best-of-three series. The New York Liberty (32-8) finished as the top team and will face the Atlanta Dream(8) in what looks like a straightforward matchup. The winner will advance to play either the defending champions, Las Vegas Aces (4), who are chasing a three-peat, or the Seattle Storm (5), in what seems like the most competitive series.
On the other side of the bracket, the Minnesota Lynx (2) will face the Phoenix Mercury (7), which might mark the end of Diana Taurasi’s WNBA career. The winner of that series will take on either the Connecticut Sun (3) or Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever (6). As a fun fact, the first game of this season-and Clark’s career-was a Sun vs. Fever matchup, where Connecticut easily beat Indiana.
Caitlin Clark Reflects on Her Rising Fame
During the final press conference of her rookie regular season, Caitlin Clark was asked about her reaction to the attention and stardom she has received during this historic year.
In her typical humble fashion, Clark responded by saying she doesn’t view herself as a celebrity and tries to maintain a normal life. Her grounded attitude, which has been consistent since her days at Iowa, is a key part of her success.
Clark said, “I don’t know, I mean, I still, I don’t feel famous, like I don’t feel like a celebrity. So, that’s not the way I approach my life and I approach people in my life.” Look at the humility with which he responds and the justifications he gives for keeping his feet on the ground.
She also admitted, “I don’t even have a moment to breathe and really understand what’s going on at times.” Clark stays focused on basketball, which has been her driving force, leaving little room for the outside noise that comes with her growing fame. The demand of playing in the WNBA, with its practices, travel, games, and recovery, requires her full attention.
This focus has paid off, as yesterday’s game broke the WNBA attendance record, with 20,711 fans filling Capital One Arena, home to the Washington Wizards. This is the second time this season Clark’s presence has moved a Mystics game to the larger arena, showcasing “The Clark Effect.” She also made history by becoming the most-voted player for the most-watched All-Star Game.
Clark’s Historic Rookie Season
Clark’s stats speak for themselves. Her performance with the Fever demonstrates how focused and committed she has been. She led the entire WNBA in assists per game (8.4), set a record for most assists in a season (337), and holds the single-game record for assists (19).
Clark also led the league in three-pointers made (122), placing second all-time for most threes, behind the 128 from Sabrina Ionescu, in a season while becoming the rookie with the most three-pointers.
Among rookies, Clark led almost every category this season-points, assists, three-pointers, field goals, and steals. She was also the first rookie to record a triple-double, doing so twice.
She set records for rookies with the most points (769), assists, and three-pointers in a season, proving that despite all efforts to study her game, she remains unstoppable. This is just the beginning for Clark, and her game-and fame-are expected to grow in the years to come.
