Caitlin Clark reacts to her first WNBA game, names changes she noticed / News - Basketnews.com

The biggest change Clark has noticed is the vastly increased amount of talent around her and the physicality. She was proud of her performance in the first game in the WNBA, but admitted there are a lot of things still to learn.

Credit: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix Credit Gregory Shamus/Getty Images North America/Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix

Caitlin Clark played her first professional game for the Indiana Fever in the WNBA. After a close loss against the Dallas Wings in the preseason, the college phenom said it was something he will long remember.

Clark scored 21 points on 6-for-15 shooting (5-13 3PT), grabbed 3 rebounds, and made 2 assists alongside 2 steals in 28 minutes.

"I think there's a lot of good to take away from it, I think," Clark said about the preseason loss. "At the same time, it's a preseason game. Don't get too disappointed by it, just go back, watch the film, learn from it, and get ready for the next one."

More than six thousand fans watched Clark's debut in the WNBA, nearly filling the entire College Park Center in Arlington, Texas.

"They are what makes women's basketball so fun. Over the last couple of years, it's just grown and grown. For them to come out and support me in my first WNBA game, it's really special not only for myself but for both teams on the court," Clark said about the fans. "They get to see how good this product is. You couldn't ask for a better game for women's basketball to kick off this year. A tremendous game coming down to the wire, both teams competing. That's going to be the story of he entire year."

Clark was a global phenomenon in the NCAA, breaking the tournament's all-time Division I scoring record and overcoming the legendary Pete Maravich. She also took the AP Player of the Year award for the second year in a row.

As Clark transitions into professional basketball, she will learn many things, the first of which is adjusting to a highly increased level of talent around her, the guard says.

"There's definitely going to be a lot. It comes down to every single possession. When you're on the court with this much talent, you can't take a second off. You relax for one second, and they're going to beat you on the screen, they're going to beat on whatever it is," she said. "I think that's the biggest thing - you cannot relax in this league for one second. Getting used to that, playing hard every single second."

"I think the biggest transition is just the physicality. Everybody's super physical, it doesn't always get called, so I would say that's the biggest thing," Clark later said. "One through five on every roster that we're going to play is so, so talented. The talent level, obviously, is very different than in college. Getting used to that. No matter who subs into the game, it's not really anybody you can ever relax off of. That's how competitive this league is. People are just too good for that. My biggest goal coming into tonight was to continue to be myself, have fun playing basketball, and be aggressive. I thought that's what I did. I think a lot to be proud of."

Asked what she would remember the most from that night, Clark stumbled a bit at first.

"Oh gosh, I don't know. I think just the atmosphere, getting to put on your jersey for the first time for a real game is something that's super special. I remember my first game in college really well, I think I'll remember my first game in the W[NBA] really well, whether it's a preseason game or our first game in Connecticut. It's a big milestone for somebody who's always dreamed of playing in the WNBA," Clark concluded.

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