Brighton LakeAccording to Caitlin Clark, the journey from the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft to being named 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year was not as straightforward as it looked. In a conversation with Jason and Travis Kelce on the “New Heights” show, the 22-year-old basketball star had a rare opportunity to share her rookie year struggles with people who understood the unique pressure she was under with the Indiana Fever.
Clark was drafted by the Fever just eight days after her record-breaking NCAA career at Iowa ended with a loss in the 2024 NCAA Championship game, leaving her little time to adapt to a new set of responsibilities.
It took time for Clark to get going in Indiana as the team went 1-8 in the first month of the 2024 WNBA season. She opened her career with 10 turnovers in her first game, and her 37.7 field goal percentage in May fell well below her overall rookie season mark of 41.7 percent.
Caitlin Clark makes history with her WNBA debut 🤯 @HighlightHER
(via @paulsen_smw) pic.twitter.com/yGJ5tRB60K
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 15, 2024
She was thrown into the fire under a blinding spotlight, as the Fever played 36 of their 40 games on national television. Her mistake-filled debut was the most watched WNBA game in 23 years, and she felt the scrutiny.
“In my scenario, and obviously you guys too, you’re already highly thought of,” Clark said on Thursday’s podcast episode, drawing a comparison with the hosts. “People are turning to you to be something or be someone. It’s hard. You’re trying to get your feet wet but also not do too much.”
“I think that’s kind of what I struggled in early on is I don’t know what to say, I don’t know how to say it, I don’t know how they’re going to react,” Clark added.
“For not knowing, you nailed it,” Jason Kelce assured Time’s 2024 Athlete of the Year. Clark got a sympathetic ear from the Kelce brothers, who were launched into a new level of fame after Travis started dating one of the biggest celebrities in the world, Taylor Swift.
Caitlin talks about the balance of being a rookie but also an expected leader on the team this last season in the WNBA pic.twitter.com/CI1cuJqyuQ
— ericaf455 (@ericaf455) January 2, 2025
They went from NFL standouts known for their roles on the Philadelphia Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs to the subjects of a new worldwide audience. Swift’s fans helped the Kelces grow their podcast and both go on to host television shows.
As a result, they also witnessed the pressure on their public behavior that Clark described. One recent example was in November 2024, when Jason was harassed at a Penn State football game about his brother’s relationship with Swift. He had to publicly apologize for the language he used and the way he responded to the heckler.
Clark’s admission on “New Heights” about her rookie struggle – and other sad aspects of her career – underlined the importance of athletes having a platform to share the unique battles they face so that fans can get the entire picture.
Brighton Lake