Caitlin Clark is about to “to do some cooking” for the 2025 WNBA season, and Hailey van Lith has been the butt of the jokes so far.
One of the interesting things that fans have concluded from the 2025 WNBA Draft was that TCU star Hailey Van Lith would make her WNBA debut and be pitted against Caitlin Clark right off the bat.
Hailey Van Lith’s reaction during her NCAA matchups against Caitlin Clark has become a viral meme, which was inspired by her previous struggles in defending Clark’s dominant performances back at Iowa.
One X user made a meme with Van Lith’s reaction and captioned it as: “When you realize your WNBA debut will be another nationally televised cooking by Caitlin Clark.”
— Heavens! (@HeavensFX) April 15, 2025
The meme originated from Van Lith’s visibly frustrated expressions during their encounters, particularly in the 2024 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game. In that matchup, Clark delivered a stunning 41-point performance, while Van Lith managed only 9 points, leading to widespread jokes about her being “cooked” by Clark.
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Saniya Rivers, who was recently drafted to the WNBA, issued a “warning” to star players of the league, particularly Caitlin Clark.
“Let’s go with Indiana, why not?” Rivers said. “Caitlin Clark, we played them [during our] sophomore year and she almost dropped 50 points. That was the point, we won. I would love the opportunity to match up with her again because I feel like my defense has grown since then. And my confidence has grown.”
Try again. https://t.co/TDjec2ZC5a pic.twitter.com/glCrrYHZcZ
— Brendan Glasheen (@BrendanGlasheen) April 15, 2025
Rivers gave her serious intent on beating star players like Caitlin Clark and “stepping up” her game.
“I wanna be the player that maybe tries my best to shut down the best players every night… Caitlin’s gonna be Caitlin, she’s gonna hit some shots. But, I’m not gonna get in my head, I’m just gonna keep stepping up. I would love to slow her down a little bit.”
Saniya Rivers had an outstanding collegiate career at NC State, particularly during her final season, which showcased her versatility and defensive prowess. Averaging 11.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and a team-best 3.8 assists per game, Rivers was a key player for the Wolfpack.
Her performance during the latter part of the season was particularly impressive, as she nearly averaged a triple-double in the final 10 games, logging 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.8 assists per game. Eventually, she was selected as the 8th overall pick by the Connecticut Suns.
Caitlin Clark, on the other hand, continues to prepare for the 2025 WNBA season, in which she and the Indiana Fever would kick off with an exhibition match against Brazil’s national team.
