Caitlin Clark reveals the ‘sad’ reality of her whirlwind start to her WNBA career

At one point during her response, laughter erupted, but Caitlin Clark, holding the microphone after her first WNBA victory with the Indiana Fever, immediately said, “No, I’m very serious.”

Her last two months, she said, have been “definitely a whirlwind,” with a run to the national championship game against Iowa — where the arenas were full all year as the buzz around Clark grew. was moving from city to city — followed by a transition to the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick and an 0-5 start that showed there would still be an adjustment.

And while she “wouldn’t change it for anything,” that doesn’t mean it’s been an easy time for Clark, who contributed 11 points and 10 rebounds — as well as a 3-pointer late in the period. fourth quarter – to help the Fever defeat the Los Angeles Sparks, 78-73, on Friday.

“Honestly, I feel like I talk more to the media than I do to my own family… which is really sad, in a way,” Clark said, while noting that his statement was not an exaggeration . “That’s a lot for a 22-year-old. This can sometimes be difficult. »

Clark, whose response followed a question about Mental Health Awareness Month, has been the subject of numerous conversations since the start of the WNBA season, with many giving their thoughts on her transition to the professional game and the reach of his role in the exponential growth of the league.

Earlier this week, after the Chicago Sky defeated the Liberty, Angel Reese appeared to reference, in a since-deleted post on because of a player on our charter flight,” Reese wrote at the time.

TNT analyst Charles Barkley also blasted the “mean” women who criticized Clark amid the visibility and other growth — like the addition of charter planes — that followed her to the WNBA.

This, however, was followed by players such as Liberty star Jonquel Jones calling Barkley and wondering who, in fact, he was talking about.

“I think this narrative that everyone hates Caitlin Clark, even the black and white thing — knock it off,” Aces head coach Becky Hammon told reporters Friday. “That is not here.”

Still, it all created a complicated backdrop for Clark, the Fever and the rest of the league through the first two weeks of the season.

Clark, despite struggling at times, averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 assists and 5.5 rebounds per game, his scoring ranking 17th in the league and leading the Fever.

“It’s like, ‘This is my job.’ This is what I like to do. I never want to lose the fun of the game,” Clark said Friday. “And nights like tonight remind me why I love playing basketball and why I started playing basketball, because you get a win and you get off the floor and there’s so much young children who scream your name and love to look at you.

“I think it’s the little things that remind me every day why I do this and why I love this, and I think the most important thing is that mental health is very important. It’s important for professional athletes, it’s important for student-athletes, it’s important for every person in this world, to feel like they have someone to talk to.