Caitlin Clark Doesn't Hold Back On The Pressure She's Faced

17/04/2024 21:17

The weight of the women's sports world is seemingly on Caitlin Clark's shoulders right now and the Indiana Fever rookie has felt it a bit.

Appearing on the "Pat McAfee Show," the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft looked back on her time in college and what it was like to navigate the amount of scrutiny she faced (both good and bad).

I feel like I always had super big goals, and dreams, and aspirations. ... But I think with the magnitude of where everything's gone I feel like I've tried to stay like right in the middle. I think one of the best pieces of advice that somebody gave me is at the level you feel like all the praise, that's the same level you'll feel all the hate. So I try to stay right in the middle.

But yeah, I mean it doesn't really bother me. I think it's just what comes with it and growing up my mom always said, people want to see you fail, that's just kind of how our world is which is really sad. But at the same time I don't like think about that type of stuff, I just go out there and do me.

Clark also touched on the recent comments of Diana Taurasi and others who have spoken on her upcoming transition to the pros and mostly took the high road.

Yeah, I think people are just competitive. Like I don't think it's anything that's out of the ordinary. I feel like its things rookies have faced their entire career, the entire existence of the WNBA. But I don't feel like any pressure take it to a place it's never been before. Like I think that's just gonna happen with the way we're on TV more, with the way people are following from the college game to the WNBA.

If the former Hawkeyes star is able to replicate the success she had collegiately at the next level, it could be massive for The W. Given her basketball resume to this point, it's hard to bet against her.