Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

WNBA legend relates to hardship Caitlin Clark has endured during rookie year

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jul 23, 2024 3:14 PM ET

If there’s anyone who can relate to the ups and downs of Caitlin Clark’s rookie season, it’s WNBA legend Candace Parker.

Like Clark, Parker was the No. 1 overall pick back in 2008, and like Clark, television ratings boomed and national perception of the WNBA changed when Parker entered the league. This makes her the perfect person to shed some unique insight into some of the things Clark likely has to battle behind the scenes.

“It’s hard to have the bullseye on your back,” Parker said during a Q&A with Andscape. “Not just from the standpoint of everybody looking at you, but also as a teammate trying; it is a team sport, so you’re the one that always constantly has to remind people like, ‘Hey Aliyah [Boston], set that screen.’ It’s difficult and people have different feelings about it. So, it’s a hard weight, hard burden to carry, but she’s doing a great job.”

History made

Caitlin Clark is the first rookie in WNBA history to notch 20+ PTS, 8+ REB, 9+ AST and 2+ BLKS in a single-game

She also joins Candace Parker, Tina Charles and Courtney Vandersloot as the only other players to record this stat line#WelcometotheW pic.twitter.com/ekbtUUb8e4
— WNBA (@WNBA) June 16, 2024

Even with all of the attention and the media gossip that surrounded Parker during her first few years in the WNBA, she still had a successful career — one that Clark would surely be happy with herself.

Parker was a seven-time All-Star, a three-time WNBA champion, a two-time league MVP and a WNBA Finals MVP. She also won Rookie of the Year in 2008 and she led the league in rebounds three times, blocks twice and assists once.

Clark is well on her way to winning Rookie of the Year, though Chicago Sky power forward Angel Reese is giving her a run for her money. Through 26 games, Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 8.2 assists and 1.5 steals per contest.

The 22-year-old leads all rookies in points (445), assists (213), steals (38), free-throw percentage (.891), field goals per game (5.3), three-pointers per game (2.7) and ranks second to Reese in total rebounds (151).

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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