Caitlin Clark had a rough start to life in the WNBA but has steadily found her groove. The Indiana Fever star is averaging 16.8 points per game, ranking 14th in the league and first among all rookies. While her scoring prowess has received well-deserved admiration since her days in college with the Iowa Hawkeyes, Cheryl Miller highlighted a trait that should receive more praise.
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During an interview, the Hall of Famer lauded the Indiana Fever guard’s ability to bank a contested shot with as much consistency as a wide-open look. Miller also noted that Clark’s shooting overshadows her playmaking ability, which should get more admiration. She said,
“There are a lot of shooters out there. There are shooters that are natural, shooters who work on their game, shooters who need several screens to get open. You can set a screen for Catlin; Caitlin don’t need a screen. The one thing that I don’t think people really appreciate about that young lady’s game is she can pass the ball.”
There is one Cheryl who likes @CaitlinClark22 #wnba #FeverRising #caitlinclark pic.twitter.com/bqsEGx7qmL
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) July 15, 2024
The guard has been an exceptional playmaker since her freshman year at Iowa. She averaged 7.1 assists in her debut season in college, which steadily rose to 8.9 in her senior year at Iowa. While her passing ability was directly responsible for at least 14 points a game, she also averaged over 25 points throughout her college career.
Clark has showcased her excellent playmaking skills in her debut season in the WNBA too. She’s averaging 7.8 assists per game, the most among all players in the league. She has racked up 194 assists, and will likely break four-time All-Star Ticha Penicheiro’s record for most assists by a rookie, which stands at 225.
However, Clark’s playmaking isn’t efficient. She leads the league in turnover with 5.6 per game, two more than Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas, who ranks second with 3.6. However, not all turnovers are her fault. Fans have created multiple compilations of her teammates dropping easy or catchable passes.
Regardless, to be considered an elite playmaker, Clark will have to take better care of the ball. She can make flashy passes and possesses the skill and vision to drive to the rim and draw multiple defenders before throwing a pass to one of her open teammates. Once she becomes more efficient and careful with the ball, she’ll likely be anointed the WNBA’s best playmaker.
