As the thrilling Olympic Games continue with four days left, both U.S. basketball teams are set for their semifinal matches. The men’s team faces Serbia and their star, Nikola Jokic, in a rematch of their opener, where the “Dream Team 2.0” won 110-84. The women’s team is set to play Australia on Friday, aiming for the gold medal final on Sunday. As the Olympics wrap up, the WNBA will resume its season, with teams gearing up to play at least 15 more games to secure playoff spots in what has been a successful season.
WNBA Historic Season Continues
This WNBA season has seen record-breaking ratings, merchandise sales, and arena sellouts, including the most-watched All-Star game ever. A significant contributor to this success is Caitlin Clark from the Indiana Fever, who has had a stellar season worthy of her first draft pick status. Despite her impressive stats, fans have noted a drop in her shooting accuracy. Fever’s head coach, Christie Sides, mentioned that “Caitlin Clark’sshots have been falling again,” which bodes well for the team as they aim for a playoff spot.
This improvement would benefit not just her, but the entire team, which currently ranks among the top 8 and is poised for a playoff spot. Before the break, Clark hit just 26.2 percent of her three-point shots in her last seven games, a notably low percentage for her standards. The break should help her stay fresh and regain her strength for the season’s final stretch.
Clark for Rookie of the Year
Clark has averaged impressive statistics in her 26 games, including 35.2 minutes (third in the league), 17.1 points per game, 8.2 assists (leading the league), 5.8 rebounds, and a league-high 5.6 turnovers. Her shooting percentages include a .405% field goal percentage, .327% from three-point range, and .891% from the free-throw line, ranking her sixth in the league. Among the several records she has broken and will break, for me the best are, the first triple double for a rookie in history and the first for the Fever franchise, and the most assists (19) in a game.
These numbers look like from a veteran, so it makes them more impressive for a rookie, let’s remember that Clark is only 22 years old and has a very promising future, let’s hope that injuries don’t play against her to enjoy her game in the WNBA and in the future with the Olympic team.
