The Indiana Fever entered Wednesday at 4-2, tied for the second-best record in the WNBA. The Fever have been led by a mostly healthy Caitlin Clark, who is back on the court after missing all but 13 games last season due to injuries.
Although she started the season showing some clear rust, especially from behind the arc, Clark is rounding back into the First Team All-WNBA form that she had displayed in her rookie campaign, threatening defenses not only with the deep ball, but also with her uncanny ability to pass teammates open.
However, a heat chart of Clark’s shot attempts is raising some concerns about how effective she can be moving forward. Coming out of Iowa, the scouting report read that she was most comfortable shooting from the left side of the floor and was really only finishing consistently at the rim from the right.
Through five games, it would appear that her scoring ability still appears somewhat limited to those spots, as indicated by the heat chart in question.
Fans on social media are especially concerned that Clark’s game hasn’t evolved as much as they’d like to have seen by her third season as a professional.
“She can only shoot from one side of the floor and the rim. Elite defenses are going to swallow her up,” one fan wrote on X.
“No midrange game. Can’t shoot right,” someone else noted.
“The scouting report has been the same since her freshman year in college,” one fan added.
If it’s not broken…
It’s worth noting that even if her game has some limitations, its effectiveness hasn’t been hampered any if at all. As of Wednesday, Clark is averaging 23.8 points, good for third in the league, and nine assists, the top mark in the league.
Defenses may be well aware of exactly what she’s trying to do, but stopping it is another task altogether.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.