Caitlin Clark’s domination continues after the rookie dropped a career-high 35 points against the Dallas Wings. The Fever edged out with a 110-109 win as they look forward to their last game of the season. Over the last three weeks, the Fever has been in the middle of a comeback. And for the most part, Clark’s performance has boosted this Fever’s late comeback, as they clinch a playoff berth. Before the Olympic break, Clark and company were 11-15 halfway past the season. However, since then, they’ve been on a 9-4 run, all thanks to the greatest shooter of all time himself, Stephen Curry.
Indeed, at the heart of the Fever’s success was a strategy that mirrored the Warriors’ plays with Steph. We’ve all seen how Curry constantly moves on the offensive end. So much so, that players have admitted Curry is more dangerous off the ball. Well, the Fever may have taken notes, as the striking similarity is seen in almost every game. Running plays like the Stagger Twirl, Gut Chicago, and others; the coaching staff seems to have exhausted all the Warriors’ plays based around Steph. However, they all have worked pretty well for them.
In the last 13 games, Clark has averaged 24.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 8.9 assists while shooting over 43% from the field. Now, as similar as she might be to Steph, Curry doesn’t want the similarity to overshadow Clark’s hard work. “But I think it almost robs her of like the rest of her game because she’s such a good floor, you know she has her overall, you know, floor game, she’s racking up, you know, close to triple-doubles every night and, her shooting ability is her superpower, but the rest of her game is as polished as that so,” Curry told CBSMornings on Clark’s comparison to his game.
Another interesting stat comes from Clark’s shooting distance. The WNBA’s three-point line is just over 22 feet. Whereas the three-point line in the NBA is 23.9 feet long. And quite surprisingly, Clark’s average three-point shot distance has been 28.09 feet in her rookie year! To put it into perspective, this average distance is more than Damian Lillard, Trae Young, and Steph Curry’s in their best seasons. It is incredible how Clark has adjusted to the league at such a high level in just her rookie year. Moreover, she’s just getting started.
Is Clark the WNBA version of Stephen Curry?
Often regarded as the current best shooter in the WNBA, Clark might as well be the equivalent of the Chef. She’s leading the league in three-pointers but hasn’t been as consistent. Of course, Clark’s shooting abilities are one-of-a-kind but she is yet to find her consistency. Other than that, Clark is on her way to having a defining career. As the Fever advances to the playoffs, it will be interesting to see Clark make her postseason debut.
Clark and company will be taking on the Washington Mystics on Thursday, as they look forward to the playoffs. Not only that, Clark will also finish this season holding multiple WNBA and franchise records. What are your thoughts on Clark’s comparison to Stephen Curry? Do you think the Warriors’ plays have helped the Fever? Let us know in the comments.
