Shaquille O’Neal gets real on Caitlin Clark being beat up in WNBA
NBA legend and Hall of Famer, Shaquille O’Neal recently discussed the WNBA’s rookie class and offered his perspective on Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever.
O’Neal has widely expressed his support for Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese, but he also gave high praise to Caitlin Clark for her stellar performance in the WNBA so far.
During an interview with Sports Illustrated on Thursday, O’Neal praised Caitlin Clark’s impressive 31-point performance against the Chicago Sky, which he witnessed in person last weekend.
“(Clark) does everything right,” Shaq said about the Fever’s rookie superstar.
Clark’s rookie season has been remarkable, coming into the league with exceptional hype following her career at Iowa, where she broke the NCAA all-time scoring record and made it to two national championship games.
Shaq giving props to Caitlin Clark
“I never spoke about her (before) because Angel (Reese) is my girl but I can truthfully say—Caitlin Clark is for real. I’m watching her play and I’m trying to be upset but she makes the right pass, makes the right play. Girls try to beat her up and she doesn’t really complain. She’s a great one, even early on (in her career).”
Caitlin Clark has delivered a record-breaking rookie season with the Fever. Since the WNBA’s Olympic break, she has averaged 24.6 points, 9.0 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. Her shooting stats include 50% from the field and 38.6% from three-point range.
The Indiana Fever have gone 6-1 since the break, improving their overall record to 17-16. After finishing at the bottom of the league last season, they have clinched a playoff spot and are now pursuing the 5th seed.
“She’s the real deal. Much respect to her and her family and the way she grew up and the way she plays. All little girls should watch all the WNBA players play but those two (Clark and Reese) are my favorite,” Shaq continued.
Clark is averaging 18.9 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game. She tops all rookies in scoring and leads the WNBA in assists. The Fever rookie is in contention with Angel Reese for the Rookie of the Year award.
If there was any reasonable debate early in the season between Clark and Chicago’s Angel Reese, it has since vanished. Following a month of rest, Clark has become an entirely different and more dominant player.
Caitlin Clark’s record-record breaking season with the Fever
Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
Clark reached a major milestone by hitting her 100th three-pointer of the season in a 93-86 victory over the Los Angeles Sparks. She is the first rookie to join the triple-digit three-point club and only the sixth player overall, joining the ranks of Sabrina Ionescu, Diana Taurasi, Arike Ogunbowale, Jewell Loyd, Kelsey Plum, and her teammate Kelsey Mitchell.
The Fever rookie is also unique among WNBA players who have made 100 three-pointers in a season, as she is the only one to also record 200 assists.
Clark ended the game with 24 points on 8-of-17 shooting (including 4-of-10 from three), along with 10 rebounds, 10 assists, seven turnovers, and three steals, marking her second career triple-double. These are the only triple-doubles ever recorded by a rookie in WNBA history.
Currently, Clark is set to break Alyssa Thomas’ single-season record of 316 assists, aiming for 336, and finish third on the all-time three-point list with 120, trailing only Sabrina Ionescu’s 128 and Diana Taurasi’s 121. She already holds the record for turnovers with 188.
In just 34 career games, Clark has already tallied seven games with 20 points and 10 rebounds, placing her third on the all-time list. She trails only Courtney Vandersloot, who has 10 such games in 422 appearances, and Diana Taurasi, with nine in 559 games.
The post Shaquille O’Neal gets real on Caitlin Clark being beat up in WNBA appeared first on ClutchPoints.
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