Victor Wembanyama’s comments about Caitlin Clark speak volumes about WNBA star

Victor Wembanyama has hailed WNBA star Caitlin Clark as an inspirational figure.

Sharpshooter Clark, who clinched a prestigious WNBA Rookie of the Year accolade this season, played a pivotal role in catapulting Indiana Fever into their first playoff appearance since 2016 – all while shattering 11 astonishing records along the way. Notably, the 22-year-old establised a new benchmark for the most assists in a single season (337) and the greatest number of assists in one game (19).

And while the Iowa native and her team were edged out by Connecticut Sun in the initial playoff round, Clark’s first professional season was nothing short of spectacular. Breaking away from the norm, she opted not to join forces with Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese in the Unrivalled League during the offseason; instead, she’s taking time out to mull over an astounding inaugural season.

Clark took to social media to express her feelings: “Year one [tick emoji] – thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two.”

The impact of Clark’s remarkable debut year hasn’t just resonated with her peers, rivals, and avid followers of the WNBA; it evidently caught the attention of San Antonio Spurs’ giant Wembanyama too. While engaging with his team, the centre was asked: “Who is a WNBA player that inspires you, and what makes her stand out to you? “.

To which, the Frenchman responded: “I think Caitlin Clark. When she was in college, the only college player that I was really in awe of the game you know. I’m saying, men and women’s college basketball – she’s probably the most impressive I’ve seen,” reports the Express.

Clark’s stellar time at the University of Iowa saw her clinch consecutive national player of the year accolades and smash a new NCAA scoring record, before making her transition to the professional arena this year. Her earlier conquests include nabbing a pair of FIBA Under-19 World Cup golds in 2019 and 2021, plus topping it off with a victory at the FIBA Americas U-16 Championships in 2017.

Just this April, Clark made headlines being snagged as the top pick in the 2024 WNBA draft by Indiana Fever, and inked a rookie contract with them shortly after. The regular season saw her rack up stats including an impressive average of 19.2 points per game, leading the league with 8.4 assists and pulling down 5.7 rebounds.

Her game-changing prowess extended to landing a league-topping 122 three-pointers, setting a blistering pace as the quickest woman to hit over 100 in mere 34 matches propelling her team to their finest season tally of 20-20. Not only did she notch up a couple of triple-doubles, but she also scored the highest single-season points from the point guard berth and owns the title of the all-time highest-scoring rookie in the leagues annals.

She bagged 66 out of 67 votes to be crowned as the WMBA’s Rookie of the Year – with one journalist choosing to cast their vote for the previously mentioned Reese. Basketball enthusiasts around the globe are eagerly anticipating what Clark will bring to the court in the 2025 season.