And perhaps that appreciation for her play is why she is facing such a hard-nosed reception. Insiders warned that she should prepare for a different level of play as a professional, particularly as people recognise her skill.
“Reality is coming,” said WNBA legend Diana Taurasi during Clark’s final college tournament.
“You look superhuman playing against some 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come play with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.”
Clark is undoubtedly seeing tough coverage on the court, which continues to illustrate that others in the league view her as an offensive threat.
Michael Jordan, pundits have pointed out, was often pushed around, especially in his rookie year. The Detroit Pistons even developed the now-infamous “Jordan Rules” – a plan for intense physical defence to combat Jordan’s otherworldly talent.
It would surprise few if that harsh defensive play or the exhausting clip at which Clark is playing takes some slight physical toll.
She has played the most minutes of all WNBA rookies, and her start in the league has come almost immediately after she played a gruelling season of college basketball that ended in the NCAA championship final.
Perhaps that explains why the player with the all-time scoring record in college basketball history has not been winning – or scoring – all that much so far. The Fever is currently ranked 10th in a league of 12, with a 3-9 record after the win on Friday.
Clark had the worst game of her brief career the day after last week’s shoulder-check from Carter. She scored just three points against the New York Liberty, a game that she was eventually pulled from and the Fever would go on to lose 104-68.
“Caitlin is a star,” Ms Buckner said. “I just hope they [her fans] realise the WNBA didn’t get created three months ago so Caitlin Clark had somewhere to play.”
Friday’s game in Washington proved to be a much-needed bounce back, as Clark scored 30 points and led her team in minutes played.
Clark may not be performing at the heights some have come to expect, but she is still managing to hold her own in a new and more difficult league.
“She’s been unbelievable,” Ms Isaacson said. “No other rookie has come in like she has.”
And when it comes to all the discourse about her WNBA debut and her reception by fellow players, Clark has stayed fairly quiet.
- “It is what it is,” she said about the shoulder-check that drew so much attention. It’s a physical game.”