Caitlin Clark: A Well-Deserved Break Amidst a Stellar Rookie Season
Caitlin Clark radiated joy, resembling a student who had just completed her final exam of the semester. “I’m on vacation,” she exclaimed during her postgame press conference at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. “This is my last chance for a month, so fire away with your questions now!” It was a much-anticipated respite for her. For the first time since March 2023, she was granted a significant break as the WNBA season observed a 24-day hiatus for the upcoming Paris Olympics. “Honestly, I can’t wait to step away from basketball for a bit,” Clark admitted.
Although her exclusion from the U.S. Olympic team sparked debate among fans, this absence may ultimately prove beneficial for her as a rookie. Being left off Team USA has granted her not just motivation, but also precious time. Clark’s schedule has been relentless—though remarkably successful—making it difficult to find a parallel among athletes, even those in her rookie class. As one of the brightest stars in the sport, she has managed to squeeze in cross-country trips for awards ceremonies and publicity events around a demanding schedule filled with practices and games (69 in total, including college and WNBA preseason matches). After averaging more minutes per game than any WNBA rookie in the last two decades, she was more than ready for a break.
With an opportunity to catch her breath, Clark appears poised to capitalize on this time off when WNBA play resumes. “There has to be a point where you need to pause and take care of yourself,” she reflected. “I think taking time to relax and reflect on everything that has transpired over the past year will be incredibly important since my life has accelerated so rapidly.”
Clark has built a reputation as a durable athlete throughout her college career, playing all 139 games for Iowa over four remarkable seasons—the last two as the national Player of the Year. Her total minutes played—4,832—stand as the highest of any Division I player during her four years in college. Among only five players to exceed 4,500 minutes, she was the only one to surpass the 4,700-minute mark.
In the WNBA, she has maintained an astonishing level of productivity and workload. Clark currently leads the league in assists, 3-point field goal attempts, turnovers, and games played. She has logged 914 first-half minutes, ranking as the second most in the league for this season, and is one of just three players who have played over 850 minutes thus far.
All this comes on the heels of a full college season, with merely 21 days separating Iowa’s run to the national championship in April and the commencement of WNBA training camp later that month. The following table illustrates the top NCAA women’s basketball players (2021-24) by minutes played:
| Athlete | SCHOOL | TOTAL MINS |
|---|---|---|
| Caitlin Clark | Iowa | 4,832 |
| Courtney Whitson | Middle Tennessee | 4,697 |
| Kyla McMakin | Longwood/Saint Louis | 4,598 |
| Dyaisha Fair | Buffalo/Syracuse | 4,522 |
| Lexi Donarski | Iowa State/UNC | 4,512 |
Over the last 15 years, only 52 Division I players have clocked at least 1,300 minutes in a single college basketball season, with only three (Clark, Kelsey Plum, and Maddy Siegrist) being drafted. Remarkably, Clark has already surpassed the season-long minute totals of both Plum (711 minutes) and Siegrist (319 minutes).
The onset of Clark’s professional career has also been particularly demanding. The Indiana Fever opened their season with an intense schedule of 11 games in just 20 days. In contrast, Plum participated in only six games during her inaugural 2017 season. Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson each played in seven games during their rookie years in 2016 and 2018, respectively. Even Clark’s Fever teammate, Aliyah Boston—selected as the No. 1 pick in 2023—managed only six games within her first 20 days as a professional.
The swift transition from college to the pros is a unique challenge faced by all players in women’s basketball. Angel Reese, another standout rookie, led LSU deep into the NCAA Tournament while also thriving in the WNBA spotlight. She set a league record with 15 consecutive double-doubles while playing for the Chicago Sky.
Both Clark and Reese have been recognized as the first pair of rookies to participate in the WNBA All-Star Game since 2014. “You hit the ground running,” stated Storm veteran Nneka Ogwumike, the No. 1 pick in 2012 during another Olympic year. “Within a week of the draft, you’re thrust into your market, and there’s virtually no time to catch your breath. The Olympic year offers you some much-needed extra time to find your footing and navigate this transition.”
This year’s rookie class has also been under a more intense spotlight than any previous WNBA cohort, thanks to soaring viewership ratings and a plethora of marketing opportunities and obligations. Clark and Reese have both secured sponsorship deals, with Clark making a memorable appearance on “Saturday Night Live” prior to the WNBA Draft and negotiating a forthcoming signature sneaker deal with Nike. Meanwhile, Reese managed to attend the Met Gala in New York before racing back to Chicago for a preseason game, and during the current midsummer break, she was spotted at a pre-Olympic party hosted by the French luxury conglomerate LVMH.
“I wouldn’t trade this experience for anything,” Clark stated regarding her whirlwind year. However, that doesn’t imply she and Reese aren’t eagerly anticipating the chance to recharge. While Clark didn’t divulge her specific plans for the Olympic break, she did mention wanting to disconnect from her phone for at least part of it. She expressed her intention to avoid basketball for at least a week. Her teammate, Lexie Hull, mentioned they were planning a getaway to Mexico. “I’ve been playing basketball for an entire year. I just need some time to breathe,” Clark remarked. “It’ll be refreshing to step away and truly enjoy life, especially since the past year has been incredibly hectic. … Taking this time will allow me to reflect and appreciate all that has transpired.”
A second-half resurgence appears likely for both Clark and the Fever, who currently hold a record of 11-15 but have shown improvement with a 9-6 record over their last 15 games.
During the All-Star weekend in Phoenix, Clark humorously mentioned that she tends to sprint everywhere. Her last run before her break officially commenced was out of the media room, following a final question about her impressive 10 assists in the game. She quickly rose and waved goodbye, cheerfully stating, “Have a nice month!”
— The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant contributed to this report.
(Illustration: John Bradford / The Athletic; Visual data: John Bradford / The Athletic; Photos of Caitlin Clark: Alex Slitz / Getty Images, Kate Frese / Getty Images)
