Clark is perhaps the biggest rookie in WNBA history. The noise surrounding her even before she entered the league was bigger than the best stars in the league. Although Clark has largely lived up to the expectations, her shooting is still not what was expected.

Known for her killer 3-point shot-making caliber, Clark was a 37.7% shot-maker from beyond the arc for her college career. However, her 3-point percentage has gone down after transitioning to the WNBA. The Indiana Fever star is currently shooting only 33.7% from beyond the arc and is at 42% overall.

 

When asked about the reason for the drop in percentage, Caitlin Clark said that the shooting slump has been because of the toughness and the physicality of the game. However, she also agreed that she hadn’t played her best basketball in her rookie year.

“I feel like I definitely haven’t shot to the best of my capabilities this year, but I feel like I’ve had a lot of tough rolls… I think I’m definitely taking harder shots. I’m contested pretty well on a lot of shots. I honestly make a lot of the harder ones and miss the easier ones. I’m not always used to being wide open sometimes.”

The Indiana Fever rookie added that she was hopeful and expects to get into the rhythm as the season progresses.

While it is true that Caitlin Clark hasn’t shot well from the 3-point line, she has also been handling rougher defense against her. Players using physicality to disrupt her offense isn’t a very uncommon sight in the league.

Caitlin Clark has taken a lot of flagrant fouls

The numbers on the stat sheet are a clear testament to the greatness of Caitlin Clark. However, there is a part of the game that is not visible on the stat sheet: the flagrant fouls against the Fever rookie.

Even as a rookie, Clark is largely considered the biggest threat on the Fever roster. And they are treating her that way. Some of the fouls committed against Clark are flagrant ones. Out of the seven flagrant fouls that the Chicago Sky have committed this season, four have been against just Caitlin Clark. Moreover, of the total flagrant fouls committed in the league, 17% of them have been committed against Clark alone, per the Clark Report.

 

While these stats do show that most of the teams in the league consider Clark as the biggest threat on the Fever team, they also bring out a concerning point. These many flagrant fouls against Clark should not be normal, and it can put her career in jeopardy.

She is one of the biggest stars in the league and one of the reasons behind the league’s increasing popularity. Even if no favoritism is given to Clark, it would only serve the interest of the league when she is protected.