The rapid yet sustained rise of Caitlin Clark has turned her into a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. Unsurprisingly, over time, the spotlight has also shifted to several exceptional aspects of her gameplay. Recently, her on-court vision became the center of attention in the WNBA as her Indiana Fever teammate, Temi Fagbenle, publicly raved about it.
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During the latest post-training press conference, Fagbenle mentioned, “She’s a great passer. So, she is always gonna pass it if I’m open. I know that…We haven’t had many practices together but the connection is just there…I’ve only had a few of those kinds of point guards, who just see the play before it’s happened” [per ClutchPoints‘ Matthew Byrne on X].
Temi Fagbenle on the full-court pass connection with Caitlin Clark: “I’ve only had a few of those kind of point guards, who just know, sees the play before it’s happened… regular point guards I’m like they didn’t see it… but Caitlin saw that!”
Full clip: pic.twitter.com/9KEYxlNlIT
— Matthew Byrne (@MatthewByrne1) May 27, 2024
This brought to the surface two of Clark’s severely underrated qualities – her game-reading skills and teamwork. As a result, the 22-year-old likely did not wait around for anyone to tell her what to do on a WNBA floor. She took charge of the situation independently, leading the team from the front by banking on her capabilities.
This should not come across as a surprise to her devotees. During her college years with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Clark had done precisely the same on numerous occasions. For instance, during a game against the Indiana Hoosiers last year, the youngster caught the eyes with a decisive full-court pass moments after securing an offensive rebound.
Caitlin Clark reb and full court pass pic.twitter.com/CZhLiztGfC
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) February 9, 2023
She has been developing this skill set for years, solely to get her teammates involved in the plays and bring the best out of them. However, the Fever roster continually struggles to align itself with Clark’s current wavelength. Amidst this distress, the youngster urged her team to keep their faith in the ongoing process.
Can Caitlin Clark turn things around?
As the team’s point guard, Clark can run the plays as she pleases. Till now, this has acted as a double-edged sword for the Fever. At times, the implementation of her ideas has resulted in exceptional sequences. But more often than not, those have also caught her teammates by surprise, disrupting their momentum.
This has become a key area of concern for the franchise early in her WNBA career. Consequently, Clark addressed this publicly nearly a month back, putting the entire emphasis on preparation. “The best way to learn is just try it and if you make a mistake, you just continue to go back to it…You will find that chemistry as you continue to play with each other more,” she stated.
These early hiccups have failed to dent Clark’s confidence. As a result, she continues to trust her methods to this day. Interestingly, the rest of the roster has recently started to reciprocate well to the process, aligning itself with the rookie’s viewpoints over time.
The team must focus on winning games too. With an underwhelming 1-7 record, they are already lingering at the second-last spot on the WNBA table. Additionally, the Fever had been outplayed in most of these clashes, raising question marks over their capabilities.
Time is running out for them to turn things around. As a result, all eyes are now on Clark, as the fans expect her to spearhead a resurgence for the franchise.
