It seemed like maybe Caitlin Clark was getting back into a groove. She was taking logo threes, firing no look passes, and the Fever looked good. And just like that, things went into another crisis. It has been a rough week for Fever and Caitlin Clark fans.
The headline of the Athletic’s Candace Buckner’s article hit close to my feelings,”The Caitlin Clark Experience Isn’t Fun Anymore- And That’s the WNBA’s Biggest Problem.” She went onto to the following to start her article…
This isn’t fun. The Caitlin Clark experience. It was supposed to be a whole bunch of logo 3s and a staggering amount of no-look passes. Instead, it’s become a sizzle reel of flagrant fouls, interrupted only by troubling injuries and league-wide PR nightmares.
It was supposed to feel like a party in the Heartland that lasts through the summer months, and a revolution for girls everywhere that’ll echo throughout generations. This was supposed to keep us- all of us- watching, celebrating and obsessing over women’s sports. This was supposed to be magic, swished in from waaaay downtown. But this, whatever we should cal this, feels more like an airball.
This past week, I have done a lot of thinking about how we have gotten to where we are. Just two years ago, it was so exciting and so fun, and now it seems tense, angry, and frustrating. Here are my thoughts on Caitlin Clark, the Fever, and the WNBA- believe me, there is a lot of blame to go around.
The Iowa Hawkeye Fans- The Hawkeye Fans started all this. Other teams in the history of college women’s basketball had been better than Clark and the Hawkeyes, but none of those teams were ever to gather the following Caitlin and her Hawkeyes got.
The Hawkeyes with Caitlin were a mix of part Hickory Hoosiers, part Beatles, and throw in a touch of Pete Maravich. The Hawkeye fans made Iowa the envy of EVERY college women’s team part and present in America.
Caitlin was one of the greatest college players all-time, but if she had gone to Notre Dame as originally planned, this explosion could not have happened. Caitlin is truly an Iowa phenomenon. The State of Iowa has no pro teams to root for. If you live in Iowa, there are pretty much two choices- the Hawkeyes or the Cyclones, and the Cyclones lose that battle in terms of fans.
WNBA Not Ready- The WNBA was totally unprepared for the increased fan interest. The management, the coaching, and the referees were not of the quality that a pro league should be. They failed to see what was going on in Iowa City. The league might have asked the Iowa Athletic Dept for advice. (It is not easy for me to be so complimentary of the University of Iowa.)
Hickory Not Welcome- When Iowa made their run to the Final Four, there captured the imagination of most of the Nation. It was refreshing to see someone new breaking thru.
The fans and TV audiences exploded. Clark’s last game in the Final Four 18.9 million and the next night the men’s championship game drew only 14 million. Caitlin Clark was clearly changing things- she brought eyes to the game.
Everyone was excited except a small group of people. The UConn alums and fans did NOT like Clark and Iowa.
I get it, they had to be frustrated and even hurt that through all their success, they did not get the same love and attention as this girls from Iowa. The Huskies and other traditional schools seemed to become bitter.
You may remember the alternative broadcast of the Final Four where they had UConn teammates- Sue Boyd and Diana Taurasi give their spin on things. As Clark and the Hawkeyes advanced and were impressive, all Taurasi could do was to mention how she was going to have a different experience when she started playing against grown women.
WNBA Explosion- The fan interest didn’t die when Clark got to the WNBA- sell out crowds, bigger arenas, and charter flights. Caitlin Clark brought a whole new world to the WNBA.
Can’t Just Say, “Caitlin Clark”- The WNBA has mishandled so many things but their failure to acknowledge Clark’s impact is unbelievable. Author Christine Breenan points out that even today when the WNBA Commissioner Engelbretson brings up the boom in fans interest, she always seems to have add the names of Paige Buckers and Angel Reese to Clark’s name.
Clark’s rookie year, the Fever averaged over 17k at home. Buecker’s rookie year, the Wings could not consistently sell out 6k arena.
In the last two weeks, Dallas vs Las Vegas drew 457k in primetime. The next night in the same time slot, the Fever vs Tempo drew over 1 million viewers.
This past week, the reveal of the WNBA’s 30th Anniversary poster is really a poster of the W’s ineptness. They didn’t include Clark and some other great players but put players like Sophie Cunningham, Angel Reese, and Paige Buekcers on the poster. It is a total lack of thought.
Who’s Better?- This is what the Clark haters- players and fans, don’t realize. When we talk about the impact Caitlin Clark has had on women’s basketball and the WNBA, we are don’t talking about whether Clark is the best player of all-time or of today.
It seems some players and some fans are extremely jealous of Clark’s attention. Because more people are willing to go to Clark’s games and to watch her games on TV, that doesn’t mean she is better than other players. Whether she is ever to become the GOAT is for a debate another day.
Millions of fans wanting to watch Clark doesn’t in anyway take away from UConn, Tennessee, or South Carolina’s great teams. Thousands more wanting to go to Clark’s games doesn’t take away from Candace Parker, Cherryl Miller, or others.
Steph Curry or Lebron James- Given a choice of going to see Steph or Lebron, I would choose to go see Steph. I would not be going because I think Steph is better than Lebron, Steph just can do some many entertaining things- maybe it is his logo threes.
When I was young, I figured out how to listen to LSU and Pete Maravich on the radio. It was entertaining, he was scoring over 40ppg. Even though I couldn’t watch it, the description of his ball handling was amazing.
Winning Championships is Not Easy- Winning championships at any level is tough. The Fever have shown flashes of championship play but they still have more growing to do.
Alayah Boston- If Clark, Hull, and the other young players grow as much as Boston has this past year, they will be headed for championships. Boston from last year to this year has improved more than any Fever player.
Clark’s Game- Caitlin Clark does many great things on the court. Her vision in the full court is outstanding. She is an assist machine in the half-court. She is a great logo three point shooter. Stats show that Clark, Curry, and Lillard are unique in that they seem to not have a significant drop off from on the arc threes and 5-10 feet off the arc. Playing with other all-stars, it has been tough for Clark and for her coaches to use her logo ability.
But Caitlin Clark has holes in her game. She turns the ball over a lot, she is probably just an average three point shooter, and she struggles to guard the ball.
Sadly, she missed almost her entire second year. Looking at other stars in the WNBA and the NBA, often year 2 (her lost year) is the year of development and year 3 a year of competing for championships. This did not happen for Clark. It is a red flag when a 24 year old has back problems. Her injuries have unfortunately slowed her development as a player.
The biggest hole that fans see in Clark’s game is her lack of on the court emotional control. Clark cannot control the attitude and behavior of her opponents, but she could learn to control her emotions. Clark’s emotional response to foul calls and lack of foul calls has tarnished her image tremendously. I know many Clark fans would say that the only reason she is whining so much is because the refs are not calling things. While this is true too often, her whining goes beyond this. Her on the court lack of emotional control too often has made her unlikeable.
Indiana Fever- The Fever administration and coaching have dropped the ball at this point. The GM’s failure to retain Howard or bring in equivalent free agents has produced a weaker team this year.
Coach White’s defensive strategy to leave defenders on an island and not show help off three the arc has consistently gotten Clark in foul trouble. In game adjustments both offensively and defensively have caused the team to struggle.
Not the First- When Lew Alcindor broke into the NBA, Luke Jackson of the ‘76ers was ruthless with his physicalness and fouls on Alcindor. Veterans seem to want to give a welcome to the big leagues.
When the Pistons didn’t feel they had the athleticism and the skill to stop Michael Jordan, they instituted the Jordan Rules. The Jordan Rules meant be physical and dirty if necessary. Unfortunately there are WNBA players and/or teams who have instituted Clark Rules.
Officials- The difference is that officials in most other leagues stay on top of this and call the fouls. The WNBA’s emphasis on calling it tighter was a good move. The problem is that the official just don’t seem to be very good.
On the “reckless closeout” call in the Phoenix game, the refs actually had a chance to review it but they were not looking at the close out but at Clarks follow thru.
On the knee to the groin and fist to the neck, there were 4 players in that small area. With three refs working the game, were all three looking at the other 6 players?
$1000 Fine- Fining a player $1,000, who earns over $1,000,000 is like fining a HS coach $10 for conduct on the sideline.
Alyssa Thomas past behavior- throwing Angel Reese to the floor by the neck, elbow to throat of Kiki Iriafen, taking out Napheesa Collier, and the fist to Clark’s throat certainly show a pattern that is concerning.
The comments by the Phoenix coach illustrate a total lack of understanding of the problem facing the WNBA.
Until those player behaviors and coaches comments are deemed unacceptable by the WNBA, it is not likely things will get cleared up.
My Conclusion- The WNBA has gotten what it dreamed of, huge crowds and big TV contracts. The WNBA players have gotten what they wanted, million dollar contracts and better treatment. Sadly, neither the league or some of the players want to admit how they got these things.
The WNBA, the players, the Fever, and Caitlin Clark need to figure a path to get back to where fans are experiencing joy watching their product. All of them have work to do.
Compete, compete hard- but play with respect for the game and for each other.
Two articles on the topic you might enjoy…
Caitlin Clark Experience Isn’t Fun Anymore
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