Caitlin Clark releases emotional statement after announcing break from basketball
WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has taken to social media to reflect on her first professional season.
Caitlin Clark has thanked her supporters after completing her rookie season in the WNBA (Image: Getty)
WNBA Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark has issued a statement on social media saying that she is “filled with gratitude” following her debut season in professional basketball.
The Indiana Fever star saw her inaugural season come to an end after being ousted in the first round of the WNBA Play-offs by Connecticut Sun. Clark was instrumental in guiding the Fever to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, setting an impressive 11 WNBA records in the process.
Clark posted on X: “Year one (check emoji) – thank you to the many people who have supported me as I’ve been able to live my childhood dream. I’m filled with gratitude as I reflect on this past year of my life. See you all in year two.”
Despite not ending as she might have hoped, Clark’s rookie season has seen the Iowa product surpass the achievements of many former and current WNBA players. Clark set new WNBA records for assists in a single season (337) and also in a single game (19), while also bagging the ROTY award.
The No. 1 pick from the 2024 WNBA Draft also played a significant role in the league’s growth this season, with her final game of the year attracting a record 2.5 million viewers, but she will be taking a break from the sport over the off-season instead of linking up with Angel Reese to play in the Unrivalled League.
However, the latter part of Clark’s rookie season was marred after rival players reported instances of online abuse.
Clark has garnered a dedicated following during her ascent in college basketball, and this popularity continued into her WNBA career. However, some of Clark’s supporters have faced criticism for sending offensive messages.
Rival college star and fellow WNBA newcomer Reese has spoken out about receiving threats from internet trolls.
Caitlin Clark in action for the Indiana Fever (Image: Getty)
Sun forward Alyssa Thomas similarly didn’t hold back when addressing the Fever fanbase’s conduct, stating: “It’s unacceptable, honestly. There’s no place for it. We’ve been professionals throughout the whole entire thing, but I’ve never been called the things I have been called on social media.
“We don’t wanna go to work every day and have social media blown up over things like that. It’s uncalled for, and something needs to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans, or this league checking.”
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In her exit interview, Clark confronted the widespread concerns plaguing the league, remarking: “Nobody in our league should be facing any sort of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments and threats. Those aren’t fans, those are trolls, and it’s a real disservice to the people in our league, the organization, and the WNBA.
“But there are a lot of really good fans whether they’ve been fans for 20-plus years or whether they’re new fans in our league, I think continuing to uplift this league in a very positive light is the best thing we can do. For me, that’s why I became a fan of this league.”
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