With 15 games still remaining in the Indiana Fever’s season, rookie sensation Caitlin Clark has already set the record for the most turnovers in a WNBA season. She broke the undesirable record after she committed six turnovers in the team’s win against the Minnesota Lynx. Her 139 TOS are now two over Alyssa Thomas’ 137 cough-ups last season. However, Paul Pierce isn’t concerned about Clark’s tendency to fumble the ball regularly.
Advertisement
During his usual appearance on UNDISPUTED earlier today, Pierce noted that many great guards have had issues with turnovers. This simply can be attributed to their ball-dominant ways. The person running the floor all the time is more likely to lose the ball.
Pierce highlighted that with 5,211 turnovers in 1492 games (3.49 TOPG), LeBron James is at the top of the TO list in NBA history. As one of the most elite passers of the basketball ever, LBJ does give away the possession many times. However, this risk-taking playing style is what makes him effective as well.
Meanwhile, with 1,491 turnovers in 549 games(2.71 TOPG), WNBA legend Diana Taurasi is at the top of the list in WNBA history. Apart from Taurasi, Hall-of-Famers like Lisa Leslie, Sue Bird, Becky Hammon, and Tina Thompson are also top-five in total turnovers. Citing the superstar names on the list, Pierce declared his belief that Clark is on her way up despite her tendency to lose the ball frequently.
The Truth argued that the person with ball in hand all the time is the most likely to lose it. Not making a big deal out of Clark’s 5.6 turnovers per game, Pierce told Skip Bayless and the FS1 crew,
“Hey listen, she [Clark] has the ball in her hands the majority of the time, she is gonna make mistakes. She is gonna lead the league in assists and she is gonna the lead in turnovers for a number of years. That’s the way it goes. LeBron James leads the league in scoring all-time, he has the most turnovers, that’s just how it goes.”
“As far as me being concerned about her turnovers, I am not concerned,” the Celtics legend added.
“Caitlin Clark is well on her way to join good company. She’s continuing to check off boxes.”
— @PaulPierce34 pic.twitter.com/FJNKIcNUqT
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) July 15, 2024
Pierce is rightfully unfazed by Clark’s turnovers. She has improved her play significantly with each passing week. Her performances have resulted in winning as well.
Additionally, Clark has a usage rate of 24.6%, that is 11th in the league. No other rookie even comes close in terms of usage. So it’s not surprising that she is also turning over the ball quite frequently.
However, the Fever star has still made a compelling case for the Rookie of the Year honors this year.
