Caitlin Clark played her final college basketball game not even one month ago, but she’s already gearing up to make her WNBA preseason debut.
Players making the leap from the NCAA to the WNBA always face a quick turnaround considering the timing of the respective seasons. The national championship game, WNBA Draft and first preseason game all can come within a month’s time.
Fans desperate for Clark’s return to the court can appreciate the time crunch. The Fever rookie will kick off her WNBA career Friday with a preseason road game against the Dallas Wings.
Clark, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, joined Aliyah Boston, the No. 1 pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, in Indiana.
The Fever have struggled over the past seven seasons, falling well below .500 each year. The franchise last reached the playoffs in 2016 in Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings’ final season. The franchise won its only WNBA title in 2012 with Catchings.
Clark and Boston have the potential to engineer a turnaround and to establish themselves as the WNBA’s next great duo. That quest begins Friday against Dallas.
The Wings made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, losing to the eventual champions Las Vegas Aces in the 2023 semifinals.
Preseason games don’t count toward a team’s final record,…
