Caitlin Clark's postgame comments after tough WNBA debut prove she'll be just fine

Somewhere, Phoenix Mercury legend Diana Taurasi is taking a victory lap after 2024 No. 1 overall pick and former Iowa/college basketball sensation Caitlin Clark made her highly anticipated WNBA debut for the Indiana Fever on Tuesday against the Connecticut Sun, recording an uninspiring stat line en route to a 21-point loss while reminding us that she is human after all.

Clark made history for the wrong reason on Tuesday night, setting a WNBA record for most turnovers in a debut (10). But you wouldn't be able to tell how poorly she played based on how she composed herself during her postgame press conference, speaking like a consummate pro and putting in perspective that this was the first of what she and many others hope will be countless gameday opportunities.

Caitlin Clark's postgame comments after her tough WNBA debut prove she'll be just fine

"There's a lot to learn from. It's the first one," Clark told reporters after the game. "There's going to be good ones, there's going to be bad ones."

Guard Dijonai Carrington and the Sun made it an objective to smother and swarm Clark whenever she had the ball in her hands, evidenced by the latter's historically high turnover rate.

"Obviously too many turnovers — that’s not going to get the job done," Clark said before adding: "I would have liked to have played a little better tonight."

While Clark failed to live up to the remarkable standard she set during her collegiate playing days as a two-time AP National Player of the Year in her professional debut, she still led her team in scoring (20 points), tied a team-high in assists (three), and was the only Fever player to record multiple steals. So, as bad as the turnovers may seem, there are plenty of positives to take away from her first game with Indiana.

If Clark's postgame comments are any indication, she understands that her development will take time and that she will be fine in the long run.