The WNBA has been growing tremendously in recent years thanks to the stardom of players like A'ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart and Brittney Griner. However, the league took a monumental step last season with the addition of the rookie class.
Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese headlined the list of first-year players last season, and they took the WNBA by storm. No player has ever entered the league with as high of expectations as Clark, yet she still exceeded them during her rookie campaign.
Not only did she make the All-Star team and earn the WNBA's Rookie of the Year Award, but she led the entire league in assists per game en route to First-Team All-WNBA honors. She struck fear in her opponents all of last season, but the scariest part is that she is still improving her game.
Caitlin Clark's offseason goal will change how teams defend her
With the season just around the corner, the Indiana Fever began training camp last week as they prepare for their season opener on May 17 against the Chicago Sky. ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported that Clark changed her approach this offseason, which may alter how teams defend the young star.
"That was really a huge focus for Caitlin Clark this offseason, was getting stronger," Philippou said. "She actually said that she can feel the difference already through these first two days of training camp. ... She was working with player development coach Keith Porter on all sorts of things from her mid-range game to her floaters."
Clark has always been known for her 3-point shooting prowess, as she lit up college and WNBA courts over the last few seasons. She is also known to be a playmaker, as she can find open teammates and create for others when she drives into the paint.
Related: Caitlin Clark already has WNBA rookies looking forward to matching up with her
However, if Clark is turning into a player that can score at will near the basket, opposing teams will have to restructure how they game plan for her. Instead of trying to run her off the 3-point line and force other players on the team to beat them, they'll have to take Clark as a legitimate threat at the rim.
Now, teams cannot force her off the 3-point line, so they'll have to play her straight up. This will open up more 3-pointers for Clark, which is her bread and butter anyway. If she is already feeling the difference through two days of camp, imagine how the rest of the league will feel trying to guard her.
Young players who peak early in their careers typically have one of two options: they can grow, or they can plateau. Some players are just pro-ready coming out of college and do not have the drive or upside to become a long-term star in this league. Clark, however, seems to be finding new ways all the time to expand her game, which is bad news for the rest of the league.