Caitlin Clark still has work to do before she enters Michael Jordan territory.
But the sharpshooter changing the WNBA with each huge game is on a LeBron James-level pace in her rookie season.
Caitlin Clark was obviously inspired by not making Team USA during the 2024 OlympicsCredit: Getty
Clark has emerged from an Olympics break as the hottest player in her league, scoring 52 points on 17-of-35 shooting with 19 assists and 10 rebounds in back-to-back wins for Indiana.
The Fever (13-15) have improved to seventh place in the WNBA, ahead of Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky, and currently hold a playoff spot.
With Clark bouncing all over the court and shredding the net on Sunday during a 92-75 win over Seattle, the former Iowa Hawkeyes star broke the WNBA record for total single-season assists by a rookie (232).
But she’s even more impressive when compared to the rookie campaigns of some of the greatest players in NBA history.
Air Jordan was on another level as soon as he entered the league as the No. 3 overall pick out of North Carolina.
Through 27 games, Jordan averaged 24.4 points and unleashed several huge performances that stunned NBA fans, at a time when Major League Baseball was still a more popular sport.
Jordan scored 37 points in just his third pro game, reached 45 points in his ninth, and scored at least 30 points seven times by the time he’d played 27 NBA games.
He went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1984-85, then collected five NBA MVPs on the way to a perfect 6-0 record in the NBA Finals.
Through 27 games with the Fever, the 22-year-old Clark is averaging 17.6 points, a league-high 8.3 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals, while shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 32.9 percent on 3-pointers and 89.2 percent from the free-throw line.
Clark’s rookie start is more comparable with The King of the NBA.
Clark has found a way to balance all the attention surrounding herCredit: Getty
LeBron James was hyped as The Chosen One and backed it up on the courtCredit: Getty
Steph Curry had a slower start as a rookie but finished with 42 pointsCredit: Getty
James averaged 19.2 points through 27 games — and he produced those strong numbers as a 18-year-old rookie out of high school in 2003-04.
James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, stood up for Clark in April and backed her during the NCAA women’s basketball tournament championship game.
“If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!!” James tweeted. “Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE.”
Kobe Bryant only started six of the 71 games he played as a rookie for the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 7.6 points in 1996-97.
It took the 18-time All-Star three seasons to become a full-time starter in Los Angeles.
Clark is also already ahead of Steph Curry, who started 77 games as a 21-year-old out of Davidson and finished second in Rookie of the Year voting.
Curry scored 42 points in his final game with the Golden State Warriors as a rookie.
But it took time for the greatest NBA shooter of all-time to find his pro stroke, and Clark has significantly better numbers through her initial 27 games.
Curry averaged 11.8 points, giving Clark almost a six-point advantage.
Clark has been even better since the Olympics endedCredit: Getty
While there are a variety of factors that created different scenarios for Clark and her NBA contemporaries, the reality is that she’s already one of the biggest names in American sports and has significantly elevated the profile of the WNBA.
Fever jersey sales are up more than 1,000 percent, while ticket sales have increased more than 250 percent.
Indiana is also the WNBA’s most-viewed team on TV, with 10 broadcasts breaking records.
When it comes to scoring, Jordan tops Clark and James has a slight edge.
But the 22-year-old Fever rookie has started hotter than Curry and Bryant, and has begun a post-Olympic break by reminding the sports world why she was must-watch TV while setting record after record at Iowa.
