After a historic season where she shattered the WNBA’s single-season assist record and set a new scoring benchmark for a rookie, Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark revealed to CBS’ 60 Minutes her defining moment of the year… It was an injury.
During a matchup against the New York Liberty, Fever’s Clark collided with Jonquel Jones on a screen, resulting in a ruptured eardrum. Reflecting on the play during an interview in Indianapolis with Jon Wertheim, Clark remembered the play.
“I remember we were in New York and Jonquel Jones set– a good screen on me, and my– I actually popped my eardrum, ruptured my eardrum just on a screen,” she said. “It was actually, it was a really good screen by– by JJ. She’s a tremendous player, but I think that just kinda speaks to the physicality of the league. It’s just she kinda got me in the right spot.”
Clark added, “I think it’s something that I’ll always remember, like, coming into this league.” To the 22-year-old guard, the moment also symbolized her dream come true of sharing the court with the players she grew up idolizing.
Caitlin Clark has earned recognition from basketball legends (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
“A lot of these players are who I grew up watching on TV and wanting to be like, and now I get to play against them,” she told CBS. Her comments are part of the new special about the rise of the WNBA, in which Wertheim also spoke with Clark’s teammate Aliyah Boston and Lynx star Napheesa Collier.
Clark already won AP Rookie of the Year
Clark’s impact on the league is undeniable. She already won the Associated Press 2024 Rookie of the Year Award and, according to reports from The Athletic’s Shams Charania, she will also win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year Award.
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Her stellar season featured multiple records, including becoming the first rookie to post a triple-double in league history. Even as the Fever bowed out in the first round of the playoffs against the Connecticut Sun, Clark’s presence has helped usher in a new era for the WNBA.
