YouTube Gold: How Caitlin Clark Is Revolutionizing The WNBA

Her rookie season isn’t even over and she’s already one of the best players in WNBA history.

You may have seen footage from the latest Indiana Fever-Chicago Sky game where she is heading up court with the ball and Diamond DeShields knocks her over in what was later upgraded to a Flagrant 1. It’s nothing new of course; Clark takes a lot of shots from her opponents.

At first it was a sort of rookie hazing as she adapted to the league but now it’s just frustration because she is playing at a level no one else in the WNBA can come close to.

Take Angel Reese, who just set a rebounding record as a rookie. She is a great rebounder, but a lot of them are her own misses. Reese constantly misses layups and the other day shot one off the side of the backboard. She is a gifted rebounder, but outside of that? She’s shooting 38.6 percent - and she’s basically a post player.

By contrast, Clark shoots well, but not that much better in her rookie season. She has a beautiful shot but she is also the defensive focus for every opponent and she gets some very physical defense.

However, as this video points out thanks to LSU coach Kim Mulkey, what she is doing is making her teammates vastly better and more confident and largely through her passing game.

There are some gorgeous passes throughout, but the best pass comes at 8:09 when she darts into the lane, spins her back to the basket and hits an open teammate for an easy three. It demonstrates an instinctive court awareness that is really rare.

This video argues that she is transforming not just the Indiana Fever but the WNBA. Everyone has to step up to a higher level now.

And by the way, Reese is not her natural rival. That’s media driven. Outside of rebounding, Reese isn’t particularly good.

Her natural rival is yet to come. However, it might eventually be South Carolina’s MyLaysia Fulwiley, who has shown a similar genius for passing. Can she raise a team the way Clark has raised the Fever?

Only time will tell.

When Clark meets her equal though, the WNBA is going to hit a completely different level.