Caitlin Clark gives honest take on start to WNBA career: ‘That’s just the learning curve’

WASHINGTON — Coming off a three-point performance Sunday in her 11th regular-season game in 20 days as a professional basketball player, Caitlin Clark gave an honest assessment of her WNBA career thus far.

“I feel like I’ve played some good games. I feel I’ve played some games where it’s like, ‘Hmm,’” Clark said Friday before the Indiana Fever’s game against the Washington Mystics. “I think that’s just the learning curve. That’s just the adjustment period.”

In college at Iowa, where she led the Hawkeyes to back-to-back Final Fours and became the most prolific scorer in NCAA history, there were no “meh” performances from Clark. Uncertainty did not exist, especially when it came to the quality of her game.

Clark has not shot the ball as well as she would like, she said.

“I feel like I’ve gotten some good shots and good looks,” Clark said. “As a shooter, that’s sometimes what happens.”

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A floor-general with exceptional vision, Clark feels like her passing has been up to par early in her professional career – even as she and her Fever teammates build chemistry. Clark is also pleased with her rebounding numbers given her size.

The two-time NCAA Player of the Year entered Friday averaging 15.6 points, 5.1 assists, 6.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

“I think I’ve honestly rebounded the ball pretty well,” Clark said. “I like to get it off the glass and push. I think I’ve done a good job of that, too.

“I think, overall, I think I’ve done some really good things. I think there’s always areas to improve.”

There have been “glimpses of good defense,” but her effectiveness on that side of the floor will have to be better, she said. She is making an effort to break habits from college and commit to Indiana head coach Christie Sides’ system.

“(I) hope shots will continue to go down,” Clark said. “Once the game slows down for me a little bit, the turnovers will go down.”

Entering Friday, Clark led the led the league in turnovers per game with 5.4.

With the Fever off to a 2-9 start, how much experience matters in the WNBA is becoming abundantly clear to Clark.

“If you’re the No. 1 pick, you’re probably going to a team that didn’t have the greatest year the year before. … It can be tough at times,” Clark said of the early-season losing. “One of the biggest positives over the course of the first 11 games is the energy about this group. It’s the same exact way as it was when we played our first game.”

Along with Aliyah Boston, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, the Fever have a foundation for the future.

“We need to just keep laying, brick-by-brick, and stay the course,” Sides said. “And that can be hard to do with the outside expectations. But Aliyah and Caitlin have wonderful futures ahead of them. It’s just going to get better.”

Caitlin Clark ear injury ‘pretty gross’

Clark was removed from the Fever’s loss to the New York Liberty Sunday with ear pain. Asked what explanation she received, Clark didn’t want to divulge the full reason.

“Honestly, I don’t really know,” Clark said. “I don’t want to explain it, that would be pretty gross.”

Clark said she can’t hear too well currently out of one of her ears but is confident full hearing abilities will return in the near future.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Caitlin Clark talks start of WNBA career, Indiana Fever chemistry