Caitlin Clark shines again for Fever in win over Sky
Yahoo Sports Daily hosts Caroline Fenton and Jason Fitz are joined by The Dunker Spot's Nekias Duncan and Steve Jones Jr. to discuss Catlin Clark's performance against the Chicago Sky. Watch the full episode of Yahoo Sports Daily on YouTube or YahooSports.TV .
Video Transcript
I think the first thing that popped for me was just how high the screens were set for Caitlin.
It was around an average of 27 feet in the prior two match-ups, or prior two games heading into this was around 24, 25, somewhere in that range.
And so I think with Chicago trying to lean into more of the full court pressure, you got more of those high early drag screens.
First possession of the game was Caitlin getting a high screen with a flattened floor, getting to her left and getting to a three, and it's like, okay, well this might be the tone.
Season high 22 drives her as well, so I think just the early screens kind of perked up her aggression overall that just kinda led to a consistent attack from her.
Just to bounce off what Nykasia said, I think there was a consistent aggression.
I thought it was good for Indiana to kinda have that first half.
It's kinda been a little bit tough the last couple games after this hot stretch, but Caitlin Clark being able to just kinda explore the space, get downhill, get to her spots, and then mixing in the threes.
And when the three ball is going, it's a really tough blend to deal with.
She attacks space, she's working to get downhill, she'll hit you, but then that sidestep, that step back is always ever present, and the passing will always stick out.
So I think there was just a command that Caitlin Clark had in this game, that really built throughout it.
I mean, just that shot right there, she is l- absolutely lethal.
And obviously her sophomore season was cut short due to injury, but now we see Caitlin Clark being, you know, a key cog of the best offense in the WNBA.
She now has more career games with 30 plus points and 10 plus assists than every other player in WNBA history combined, which is absolutely absurd.
W- Nykesha, we'll start with you.
How have you seen Caitlin's game evolve this season?
I think it's the downhill comfort, because I w- think one of the more fun subplots of the Caitlin Clark experience has been how teams have tried to treat her.
In year one, we're putting two on the ball all the time.
In year two, even through the injury s- cut short season, it was, "Okay, we're not gonna trap you as much.
We're just gonna switch a bunch and let's see what you do with that."
In year three, there's been more of a mix of coverages, and that's largely because Caitlin is doing a better job of diagnosing things.
If you don't trap her, she's become such a good driver, and she's become such more comfortable in the middle of the floor and getting some mid-range shots, that you can't really play drop against her.
And like, the switches, she's doing a good job of p- of picking those apart.
Now you ramp the pressure back up, that unlocks the play making.
And so just her being able to be more comfortable inside the arc and diagnose coverages, those have probably been the two biggest things for me for how she's grown this year
