Caitlin Clark was glowing, beaming like a student who had just finished her last exam of the semester.
“I’m on vacation,” she said as she burst into her postgame press conference minutes at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. “This is the last time for a month, so get your questions in now.”
A welcomed recess was upon her. For the first time since March 2023, she was receiving an extended break as the WNBA season went on a 24-day pause for the Paris Olympics. “I honestly can’t wait to not touch a basketball for a while,” Clark said.
Though Clark’s omission from the U.S. Olympic team caused a stir among fans, her absence from the roster may turn into one of the best things to happen to her as a rookie. Being left off Team USA has provided her with something more than motivation: time.
Caitlin Clark signing off from her first WNBA All-Star Weekend pic.twitter.com/VuQvAmO2KI
— Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 21, 2024
Her schedule has been a slog — although a successful one — that few athletes can compare, even most contemporaries in her rookie class. As one of the sport’s brightest stars, she’s fit in cross-country trips for awards ceremonies and appearances into a schedule built around practices and games (69 in all including college and WNBA preseason…
