Caitlin Clark received a gift bestowed to only a handful of WNBA rookies in the league’s 28-year history. When she was left off the Paris Olympics roster, the consolation prize was time. Time away from basketball. Extra hours with her new city and teammates. More minutes on the court and in the film room without a clock of the next game looming.
The benefit has been clear. Clark is averaging 23.5 points over four games in August, up from 17.1 before the All-Star/Olympic break. Her rebounding and assists numbers are holding steady while she’s dropped her turnovers from 5.