Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark rarely went anywhere during her rookie year without drawing a sizable crowd.
Clark set records for television viewership and in-person attendance, and she helped bring more eyeballs to the WNBA than perhaps any other player before as arguably the most famous women’s basketball player in the country.
And along with that kind of fame comes increased security risks.
Clark had a head-turning run-in with such a situation back in January with Texas man was charged with stalking her over social media after he sent “numerous threats and sexually explicit messages” to the 23-year-old WNBA star.
During her time at Iowa, Clark enlisted private security for certain public events, and after she was drafted No. 1 overall last April, one of the biggest changes she had to make was upping her security detail as a professional athlete.
“My life hasn't changed much; I think just continuing to be aware of your surroundings and what you're doing,” Clark said at the time. “[My bodyguard] Steve follows me around...Don't mess with Steve. I'm still 22-years-old and trying to navigate life, and enjoy everything life has to offer.”
While UConn point guard Paige Bueckers doesn’t quite have the celebrity status that Clark did last year, she is still a big star in her own right. And after the Dallas Wings drafted her No. 1 overall on Monday, general manager Curt Miller was asked if he shared any of the security concerns Clark dealt with last year regarding his newest star.
Per Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files, Miller admitted “security for players, helping them navigate increased fandom and feel protected” was at the top of his priority list.
“We can look at a lot of best practices, to Indiana's credit that they did, and we will all be implementing with our own players,” Miller said.
Like Clark, Bueckers is now the face of a WNBA franchise.
But fortunately for her, she has a blueprint on how to navigate through all the challenges that come from jumping from the college ranks right into the pros thanks to Clark.
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