Caitlin Clark (Photo via Indiana Fever/YouTube)
Caitlin Clark has yet to play a WNBA game in the regular season, and reporters cannot seem to keep themselves from saying weird things to her.
Caitlin Clark made her long-awaited WNBA debut on Friday night for the Indiana Fever, even though it was just for preseason.
She was asked before the game whether any family members would be in attendance, but Clark said she’s “flying solo.”
Then things got awkward.
Before Clark made her debut, a reporter took her by surprise by inquiring about her “bae,” or boyfriend, Connor McCaffery, going to the game. For those who do not know, “bae” is a phrase used to refer to a significant other that is short for “babe” or “baby.”
Reporter: “Is bae gonna be here?”
Caitlin Clark: “Huh, no. He’s working… I’m flying solo. Guess I better get used to it, right?”?
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Fans took to the comment section as well as the quotes to put that reporter on blast:
Columnist Gregg Doyel of the Indianapolis Star drew criticism a little over two weeks ago for what he called a “clumsy and awkward” exchange with Clark, during which he made a heart gesture and said she ought to do it to him.
Also Read: WNBA Accused Of Racism After Perplexing Decision On Caitlin Clark & Angel Reese Debuts
She’s been a tremendous on-court athlete with Iowa and is now set to be one of the best young players with the Indiana Fever in the league, and yet the reporters who are tasked with covering her are making things incredibly awkward.
Caitlin Clark Showed Nothing Will Change During Preseason WNBA Debut
Caitlin Clark (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark scored 21 points in her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever and quickly showed her talent is certainly going to translate to the pros.
Clark had a good game, but the Dallas Wings prevailed 79-76 in the preseason opener for both teams. Clark shot 6-for-15 from the field, including 5-of-13 on 3-pointers, via ESPN.com.
The Fever as well as the league should be excited about what they saw.
The Entire Internet Is Roasting Diana Taurasi Following Caitlin Clark’s WNBA Debut
Diana Taurasi and Caitlin Clark (Photos via Getty Images)
Caitlin Clark had Diana Taurasi catching strays after her sensational debut on Friday night.
The former Iowa Hawkeyes star suited up for the Indiana Fever for a preseason fixture against the Dallas Wings on the night. And she kicked things off with a trademark three, followed by four more.
Clark registered 21 points, leading all scorers, scoring 16 in the first half.
You can check out her debut highlights below:
As for Taurasi, the veteran superstar had warned that “reality” would be coming for Caitlin following her exploits in college.
“Look, SVP, reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing,” she told ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt prior to the WNBA Draft. “That’s just life. We all went through it. You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against some 18 years olds but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.
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“Not saying that it’s not going to translate because when you’re great at you do you’re just going to get better, but there is going to be a transition period when you have to give some grace as a rookie. It make take a little bit longer for some people.”
Also Read: VIDEO: Diana Taurasi Goes Off On “New WNBA Fans” While Explaining Her Beef With Caitlin Clark
Fans Went In On Diana Taurasi After Caitlin Clark Showed Out
It didn’t seem like there was much of a learning curve for Caitlin Clark on Friday night, as she scored 11 of her team’s first 19 points to finish the game with 21.
“It’s only one game, and it’s the preseason, but if this is how Caitlin Clark is going to perform as a pro, so much for Diana Taurasi’s notion that ‘reality is coming.’ Actually, I think it’s more accurate to say Paris is coming,” one fan wrote.
“Remember when Diana Taurasi tried to convince us logo 3s don’t go in against 25 year olds the way they do against 20 year olds???” another commented.
You can check some more reactions out here:
Of course, it’s still early days. But there aren’t many people out there expecting Caitlin Clark to struggle as a pro. All of them are just waiting for the Fever to play the Phoenix Mercury next month after watching Caitlin ball out on Friday.
