Caitlin Clark, a rookie with the Indiana Fever, is the focus of the WNBA season. Lakers star LeBron James gave Clark guidance on his podcast, “Mind the Game Pod,” which aired Tuesday.
Clark’s recent impact on the WNBA is apparent, with fresh record-breaking viewership figures. She gained prominence during this year’s March Madness tournament, when she shattered multiple records in a matter of days, including the record for the most lifetime points scored in Division 1 history by both men and women.
However, with her team the Indiana Fever on a 0-4 losing streak as of Monday’s game against Connecticut, people are starting to question whether or not she is ready to carry the team and if she will be able to perform like she did at the collegiate level with the added pressure of fans’ expectations.
James, who is on his 22nd season and a four-time NBA champion, discussed with his podcast cohost and former NBA player, JJ Reddick, his own experience entering the NBA at a young age and navigating all that came with it. James shared that like Clark, there was a lot of pressure on him from both the outside and inside, and that he even had to listen to his own teammates say things like, “We’re not putting our faith into an 18-year-old kid.”
James shared what he did to block out all of the opinions and told Clark to “put your blinders on, go to work, show up to work, punch your clock in, prepare yourself, work on your game, work on your craft — kind of keep your mouth shut.” He advised her to stay quiet, “because everybody is looking for you to say anything and they’re going to splice it and cut it and make it a negative thing.”
Monday’s game between the Indiana Fever and the Connecticut Sun reached 2.97 million viewers, making it the highest-viewed WNBA game on ESPN. “More people want to watch, more people want to tune in,” James said, reminding his listeners of the progress that has been made now that Clark is bringing a much larger audience to the WNBA.
James emphasized that Clark is a large factor contributing to the WNBA being taken more seriously and that, despite the criticism and recent losses, “The Caitlin Clark Effect,” a new term coined by the public, is still absolutely in full force.
Watch the full episode of “Mind the Game” below.
