Caitlin Clark has proven that she belongs in the WNBA so far. The Indiana Fever rookie is receiving heaps of praise from coach Christie Sides, who commends her for her ability to find open shots for her teammates with her precision passing and court awareness.
In her interview on “Locked on Women’s Basketball” hosted by Howard Megdal, Sides was asked about the former Iowa Hawkeye’s turnovers and how she can minimize those mistakes. The Fever coach said it was Clark’s lack of reps with her teammates that was causing her turnovers.
“It’s the understanding where Aliyah (Boston) is gonna roll to or where Lyss (NaLyssa Smith) is gonna pop to and also the scheming part of it, where the defense is coming from and making those reads. She is making those reads now against the best players in the world,” she added.
Caitlin Clark has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.47 so far this season. The 22-year-old currently leads the league in turnovers, averaging 5.6 turnovers per game, with Alyssa Thomas coming in second with an average of 3.6.
Another reason that Sides sees as a reason for Clark’s turnovers is the defensive pressure the opposing teams employ against her, which is why the coach urged her to take more shots.
“These are some of the best athletes that are putting pressure on her that she has never felt before. She is starting to figure that out. That is where we are going to see improvement,” Sides continued. “She needs to take [a] certain amount of shots for us to be successful.”
Caitlin Clark’s playmaking praised by Christie Sides
Despite the turnovers, Caitlin Clark also leads the league in assists, averaging 8.2 per game. Her ability to find open teammates enabled the Fever to close the first half of the season with an 11-15 record.
Coach Christie Sides applauds this aspect of Clark’s abilities. “It’s just been so fun to be out on the court with Caitlin Clark and the things that she sees,” the Fever coach said.
“Her court vision and the passes that she makes … sometimes you just have to pause. I just turn around and am like wow,” Sides added.
Clark was the first rookie ever to tally a triple-double in the WNBA, scoring 19 points along with 13 assists and 12 rebounds in the Fever’s 83-78 win against the New York Liberty on July 6.
The Fever will face the Phoenix Mercury on Friday in their first game after the long Olympic break.
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