Caitlin Clark’s Iowa coach addresses Kate Martin clash: It is amazing

The two former Iowa stars were up against each other

Caitlin Clark's Iowa coach addresses Kate Martin clash: It is amazing

 

Former Iowa Hawkeyes coach Lisa Bluder has spoken with immense pride at seeing Caitlin Clark and Kate Martin facing off against one another in the WNBA.

Clark and Martin were teammates for the Hawkeyes last season and now they are playing for the Indiana Fever and the Las Vegas Aces respectively.

They became good friends on and off the court whilst at Iowa together, often being labelled as best friends.

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Fan support makes Caitlin Clark feel at home despite away win

Bluder’s pride

Perhaps the person with the most pride and happiness at seeing Clark and Martin on the court together was their former coach, Bluder. She was in attendance at the game.

“It is amazing. You get to see your player achieve their dreams that they’ve had forever. It’s so gratifying, this is exactly what you want as a coach is for them to reach their dream in whatever it is,” said Bluder, via Dice City Sports on X.

The player who stole the show during the match was A’ja Wilson of the Aces.

Many regard Wilson as the best player currently in the WNBA and she racked up 29 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Las Vegas Aces to a 99-80 win over the Indiana Fever.

Clark scored eight points on 2-of-8 shooting (2 of 5 from the 3-point line) and had seven assists and five rebounds to go with six turnovers. That is her lowest return in a pro game, having previously averaged 16.7 points.

Perhaps in an effort to protect her from tough questions, Clark was not made available to the media after the defeat.

 

Caitlin Clark has work to do to catch up to Angel Reese and Cameron Brink

The three rookies have found varying degrees of success

Caitlin Clark has work to do to catch up to Angel Reese and Cameron Brink

 

After two weeks in the WNBA, the stars of the 2024 rookie class are starting to find their footing in pro basketball. Cameron Brink is becoming the anchor of the Los Angeles Sparks and recently posted her first 20-point ballgame in the WNBA. Angel Reese has held down the fort in Chicago while another rookie, Kamilla Cardoso, continues to recover from a shoulder injury that has delayed her debut.

But most pairs of eyes have been fixated on Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, the top overall pick in last month’s draft and arguably the most-hyped prospect in the 27-year history of the W. Clark was a serial winner with the Iowa Hawkeyes in the NCAA, but similar success has eluded her in the early days of her career in Indiana — part of a steep learning curve that many guards before her had to go through.

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Clark’s turnover issues are clouding her rookie season

Clark’s trial by fire in the WNBA has seen her endure a rollercoaster start to life in pro basketball. As of Tuesday, she leads the entire 144-player league with 5.3 turnovers per game, while her Fever have posted a 1-6 record.

However, Clark also has three 20-point games to her name, and Indiana has had an extremely difficult schedule to begin the year. That paints the 22-year-old in a more favorable light, especially when comparing her to Brink and Reese.

Brink is the WNBA’s leader in blocks with 3.2 per game, leading to speculation that she could become the first rookie in more than two decades to win Defensive Player of the Year. Reese’s rebounding was touted as an elite trait entering the draft, and she is living up to the hype on the offensive glass for the surprising Sky — she is the W’s top offensive rebounder with 4.5 per game.

Clark is probably still the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, especially if she can improve her scoring average of 15.4 points per night. But Brink and Reese have also already announced themselves as young players to watch, thriving in their new homes under high-level coaches in Curt Miller (Los Angeles) and Teresa Weatherspoon (Chicago).