Caitlin Clark (Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)
Early on in the rookie season of Caitlin Clark, she was getting pushed around a lot by other players.
The women in the WNBA are simply much bigger and leaner than she was, and it was clear she was not playing college players anymore.
Instead of crying about it, Caitlin Clark got into the lab and got to work.
During this week’s game between the Indiana Fever and Dallas Wings, ESPN announcers noted that Clark had added several pounds of muscle to her frame since being drafted.
The difference in her arms was incredibly notable, as a side-by-side picture clearly shows the difference in size.
Putting on muscle helps greatly with dealing with players who are banging as much as WNBA players do.
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Caitlin Clark is known for her long-range shots, but she also attacks the baskets with reckless abandon, willing to do anything to secure victories for her squad.
The post about her muscle growth also noted that the rookie phenom has shot 71% from inside 5-feet in July as opposed to just 56% in the previous months.
Also Read: WNBA Explains Why Caitlin Clark Was Not Included In Their Three-Point Contest For All-Star Weekend
After losing their last game to the worst team in the league, the Indiana Fever are 11-15, which is good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference and seventh place in the entire league.
Caitlin Clark Breaks WNBA’s Game Assists Record
Caitlin Clark broke the WNBA record for assists in a game with an incredible 19 in the Indiana Fever’s 101-93 loss to the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, per ESPN.
Clark also set a single-game rookie assist record, passing the 16 assists set by Tina Penicheiro in 1998.
Clark also broke the Fever’s single-season franchise assist record with 202 in 26 games.
The current WNBA single-season record was set last year by Alyssa Thomas when she had 316.
Sue Bird Explains WNBA Players’ Attitudes Toward Caitlin Clark Ahead Of Fever Rookie’s First All-Star Game
Caitlin Clark and Sue Bird (Photos via Getty Images and @SarahSpain/X)
WNBA legend Sue Bird has discussed the perceived hate Caitlin Clark has had to deal with ahead of the rookie’s first All-Star Game appearance.
Clark, an All-Star in her first season, didn’t seem to receive a warm welcome after the Indiana Fever made her the No. 1 overall pick in April. However, Bird thinks most people misinterpreted the message they got from the league’s veterans.
The former Seattle Storm star was a guest on the new ‘Good Game with Sarah Spain’ podcast this week and insisted that players were only showing their competitive side.
“Caitlin will go down as, whatever you want to call it, the one who made the change, this pivotal person,” Bird said.
“She will, 100 percent. But in other leagues … it was never like when LeBron (James) came, ‘Oh, Michael Jordan didn’t matter.’ And for some reason that happened, and it caused this whole thing. When the reality was, no player felt that way toward Caitlin, everybody was very welcoming and inviting, and they mistook competitive talk for hate, with hating on somebody.
“There is a thin line there, and some people do both, but I think the majority of WNBA players, with their play, with their talk, it was just competition.”
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Also Read: VIDEOS: Cameras Caught Angel Reese’s Classless Act After Disgusting Foul On Caitlin Clark
Things Have Calmed Down Around Caitlin Clark
The storm around Caitlin Clark seems to have abated in recent times. She isn’t making the news for receiving hard fouls or some veteran taking a shot at her. Most of the chatter pertains to the Rookie of the Year race with her rival Angel Reese.
The former Iowa guard heads into the All-Star and Olympic break, averaging 17.1 points, 8.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds again, with the Fever also playing a lot better lately.
She also just broke the WNBA’s record for the most assists in a single game with 19.
Fans are looking forward to seeing how she handles her first All-Star appearance.
