Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark had one of the finest rookie campaigns in WNBA history.
She was among the top contenders as MVP after helping carry the Fever to their first appearance in the playoffs since 2016. She was named Rookie of the Year after getting 66 out of 67 first-place votes.
The 22-year-old Clark played in all 40 games, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds, a league-best 8.4 assists and 1.3 steals per outing.
In two games in the playoffs, she put up 18.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.5 assists and 2.0 steals. The Fever were swept in the first round by the Connecticut Sun.
Still, selecting her as the No. 1 overall pick was a no-brainer for the Fever. Clark’s generational impact was felt by the entire WNBA, which saw unprecedented numbers in popularity.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark looks on during the 2024 WNBA season.
© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
NBA legend Charles Barkley, however, claimed that Clark’s reign could be over soon with the meteoric rise of one young player: USC guard JuJu Watkins.
While the 19-year-old Watkins won’t be eligible to join the WNBA draft until she turns 22, Barkley said the Trojans star will be a problem.
“I tell all them bitter, angry girls in the WNBA who are upset about Caitlin Clark to move over more because JuJu is special,” said the former NBA MVP on the “Throwbacks” podcast.
“I want to give a shoutout to Caitlin for what she’s done for women’s basketball over the last three years. It’s been incredible, and I wish those women would embrace it, but that girl JuJu is the real deal.”
Barkley doubled down on his praise and compared Clark and Watkins, who he said would rule in the WNBA for the next decades.
“Caitlin is a supernova and JuJu probably is a better player,” added the Hall of Famer.
Watkins averaged 27.1 points per game in her freshman year, leading USC to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.
For comparison, Clark tallied 26.6 points per outing in her first year at Iowa.
