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After just two games in her first season in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark is already feeling the difference in her physicality.
She noticed that even when the star rookie and No. 1 overall pick didn’t have the ball and possession had been transferred to another Fever teammate, other teams would guard her in the face.
When Chenedy Carter Knock Clark to the ground Weeks later, voices across the sports world, from former Fever legend Tamika Catchings to Connecticut head coach Gino Auriemma, weighed in on the league Players need to be protected and Clark Become a “target”, respectively.
But after a month off from the Olympics, Clark told reporters she was “working really hard in the weight room” and the Fever has no plans to add extra muscle to help for the rest of the season, as Indiana retains a playoff spot and improves its chances with Friday’s win over the Mercury.
“I’m small, but I try to keep myself in the best shape possible,” Clark said. Tell reporters In their 98-89 win at Gainbridge Arenawhen she scored 29 points and dished out 10 assists. “… I don’t know, I guess my strength is pretty low-key. I’m never going to be the strongest person. I know that. I tried to put on some weight, and I’ve been working hard in the weight room. Obviously, there are some limitations to what I can do, obviously in the season, but we’ve been working hard in the weight room over the last three weeks or so.”
When Clark and the Fever played a “live game” before the WNBA season resumed, she tried to fight off teammate Erica Wheeler, and Wheeler, she told Clark, thought to herself “I was going to push you away, but you’re a little stronger than I thought.”
“Yeah, don’t mess with me,” Clark responded.
The Fever continued their intra-season turnaround with the win, and Clark’s adjustment to the WNBA after transferring from Iowa State also contributed to it — when defenses focused their attention on the rookie, she also gave other teammates like Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston more opportunities.
She leads the WNBA in assists with 8.3 per game, and after some struggles early in the year, Clark has scored more than 13 points in the Fever’s last 13 games.
Eight of those games ended with Clark’s double-double, and despite not making the U.S. team’s medal roster due to a month-long layoff, his progress did not stop there.
“I think it’s definitely going to help me add some muscle towards the end of the game,” Clark said Friday. “… It’s definitely something I’ll continue to focus on, but more than anything, I never want to lose my speed. I love running fast.”
Clarke and the Fever will host the Storm on Sunday, looking to win for the fourth time in their last five games.
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