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With the Super Bowl just two weeks away, the NFL is taking center stage. But once the season ends - either with the Eagles winning their second Super Bowl or the Chiefs securing the first three-peat in NFL history - what comes next before the league's most popular sport returns in September? In the NBA, the All-Star Game and later the playoffs which begin in April, the MLB season begins on March 18, and the WNBA season begins on May 16. In the WNBA, expectations will likely be even higher for Caitlin Clark, who already has a stellar basketball resume as the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Caitlin Clark Ready to 'Destroy Teams'
When Clark's rookie season ended in a playoff loss to the Connecticut Sun, it capped a grueling 2024 filled with games, intense physical exertion, and a list of individual records and accolades in women's basketball. Despite not winning a championship with either the Iowa Hawkeyes or Indiana Fever, Clark led Iowa to a second consecutive NCAA National Championship game and helped the Fever reach the playoffs for the first time since 2016. The Fever also posted their highest win total (20) since their 2015 season under the guidance of head coach Stephanie White, who will return for another season.
In a recent episode of the Swarmcast podcast, Clark discussed her day in the Chiefs' suite with Taylor Swift, working with head coach White and her new player development coach, Keith Porter. Unlike many WNBA stars participating in the newly formed Unrivaled League, Clark has chosen to dedicate her offseason to personal improvement. Coming straight out of college last year, she didn't have as much time to hone her skills. This offseason is her first real opportunity to focus solely on her game. Coach Keith Porter had this to say about his work with Clark so far: "I just want her to be super comfortable in any scenario, any coverage, whatever it is, and just destroy teams." Clark's response? She's all in.
Clark 2.0 Is Coming
Clark herself reflected, "Obviously it was hard in college, even going into my senior year - that was really the last time I could work on things and add things. Now, Clark 2.0 is ready to take the league by storm in her second WNBA season. If opposing teams aren't already strategizing ways to limit her touches, they should start-though not with the same physicality the Detroit Pistons once used against Michael Jordan. Most sportsbooks already list Clark as the second favorite to win the MVP award, just behind three-time and current WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson.
I'm confident that Clark will step up her game in almost every category in her second season, finishing as the league leader in assists and a top-five scorer. I'd also wager that the Fever will finish among the league's top four teams and that Clark will win her first playoff series in 2025. Of course, that's easier said than done, but Clark has shown time and time again that she thrives on challenges. With her professional journey just beginning, the sky is the limit for her.
Among Her Most Notable Accolades This Year Are:
- Time Magazine Athlete of the Year (second female athlete in history)
- AP Female Athlete of the Year (fourth women's basketball player)
- NCAA Division I All-Time Scoring Leader (men's and women's)
- WNBA Rookie of the Year
- All-WNBA First Team (fifth rookie ever)
- Retired Iowa Hawkeyes No. 22 Jersey
- WNBA Single-Game Assists Record (19)
- WNBA Single-Season Assists Record (337)
- Most 3-Point Field Goals by a Rookie and Second All-Time (122)