WNBA: Indiana Fever at Los Angeles Sparks

During the post-game interview after the Indiana Fever’s first win of the season against the LA Sparks on Friday, Fever’s star rookie Caitlin Clark discussed her mental health while navigating the pressure after garnering a lot of attention to herself and the WNBA.

“Over the course of the last couple months, honestly I feel like I talked to the media more than I get to talk to my family, which is really kind of sad,” Clark said.

“It’s a lot for a 22-year-old, it can be tough at times. Our team’s really young and it’s difficult navigating this. I absolutely love it and I wouldn’t change it for the world but I think just getting off social media, I think that’s been the healthiest thing because like this is my job and this is what I love to do, I never want to lose the fun of the game.”

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Caitlin Clark led the Indiana Fever as they snapped their five-game losing streak to start the season with a 78-73 win over the LA Sparks. The Fever’s first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft registered 11 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, four steals, and one block as the team improved their record to 1-5 for the season.

Caitlin Clark dismisses ‘narratives’ of ‘attention’ received amid Fever’s struggles

During an interview ahead of the Indiana Fever’s matchup against the LA Sparks on Friday, Caitlin Clark was asked about the “narratives around the attention” she’s received “versus some of the vets that have been in this league for a long time.” Citing that she’s not on social media, the star rookie replied that she doesn’t read into the narratives and that she is focused on clinching her first win in the WNBA after going winless in her first five matchups.

“To be honest, I’m not really on social media. I don’t read that,” Clark said. “This is my job. My job is to compete and play basketball every single day. I think the more attention we can get on every team around this league, that’s only going to help me get better and better.”

“My job is just to continue to show up and help this team get better. We’re fighting for our first win. That’s my main focus.”

With the level of hype and attention Caitlin Clark has garnered for herself and the WNBA, she often faces the pressures of becoming the face of the league despite being a rookie. Clark’s WNBA debut game against the Connecticut Sun, which averaged 2.1 million viewers, was the most-watched game of the league since 2001. Her Fever jersey also set record sales after she was drafted first overall by the team in the 2024 WNBA Draft.