Caitlin Clark says players, coaches in WNBA are ‘a lot smarter’ than in college

After her debut season in the WNBA, Caitlin Clark quickly noticed a significant difference in the level of basketball IQ required to succeed at the professional level compared to college.

The 22-year-old guard for the Indiana Fever was recently crowned TIME Magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year, and in her feature, she shared her initial observations about the competitiveness in the WNBA.

“Professional players and coaches in the WNBA have a higher level of basketball intelligence. This is not a knock on women’s college basketball, which I love. But looking back at how I was defended in college, it’s somewhat alarming,” Clark told TIME.

During her time at Iowa, Clark set multiple records, becoming the NCAA Division I women’s all-time leading scorer and three-point record holder in her final season. She also led the Hawkeyes to two consecutive national championship games and earned the title of National Player of the Year.

In her rookie WNBA season, Clark continued her success by achieving accolades like All-WNBA First Team and Rookie of the Year. She set records for assists, had the first-ever triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history, and broke the rookie scoring record.

Although Clark faced challenges in college, such as competing against fellow WNBA player Angel Reese, facing LSU, and missing out on an NCAA tournament title, she believes the overall level of competition could have been stronger.

“They didn’t double-team me, they didn’t trap me, they weren’t physical. It’s college. Many of those players may never play basketball again. They lack the basketball IQ to understand the game. I get it. No disrespect intended. You have to simplify things for girls at that age,” Clark explained.

As the overall No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Clark faced challenges in her rookie season but managed to excel despite the learning curve.

The Indiana Fever finished with a record of 20-20 in the season and were eliminated in the first round of the WNBA playoffs.

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Caitlin Clark

Indiana Fever

Women’s National Basketball Association