After a week that saw Caitlin Clark called an unfortunate name by Pat McAfee, centered her in a rift within First Take, and inspired endless chatter among media and fans once again, the 2024 WNBA No. 1 overall pick responded Friday to the chatter. Speaking with reporters before her Indiana Fever take on the Washington Mystics on the road, Clark opened up about the whirlwind week.
Clark explained that she avoids the noise around her by keeping social media apps off her phone and relying on her teammates and family to stay grounded, but that it’s impossible to watch sports or exist in the world without it all getting back to her.
“Sometimes it stinks how much the conversation is outside of basketball, not the product on the floor and the amazing players that are on the floor,” Clark said. “I try to block it out … but I don’t really think it’s that different from when I was in college. Everybody’s going to have their opinion.”
I asked Caitlin Clark how much attention she has paid to the controversy and conversation about what happened in the Chicago Sky game, and what her thoughts were on it. pic.twitter.com/TEY4yDLNrc
— Christine Brennan (@cbrennansports) June 7, 2024
Clark added that she keeps perspective by treating basketball like a job and reminding herself that it is a privilege to play the sport for a living.
“This is my job, this is what I’m here for,” Clark said. “I’m not here for all the other stuff. That’s not what my teammates are here for. And that goes for the other teams in the league as well.”
“I love playing basketball…I’m not here for all the other stuff”
Caitlin Clark on the constant spotlight
“I’m 22 yrs old & there’s a lot of expectations on my shoulders & I feel like I’ve grown a lot”@nbcwashington @Gio_Delfa @JPFinlayNBCS @WNBA @IndianaFever #FeverRising pic.twitter.com/jGg3pTJSfn
— NBC4 Sports (@NBC4Sports) June 7, 2024
Clark feels she has grown a lot as a person and player during her year-plus facing intense scrutiny. But her performance so far as a WNBA rookie is below her usual standard, and the Fever is just 2-9.
“Allowing myself a lot of grace at times is really hard because I’m a perfectionist and I want to be really good for our organization, for my teammates,” Clark said. “At the end of the day, basketball’s my job, and that’s what I want to focus on most.”
The debate around Clark’s play and what she represents in the WNBA is unlikely to die down any time soon, but this week it all clearly reached a fever pitch.