WASHINGTON (TND) — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said fans of WNBA player Caitlin Clark should not be so quick to place such high hopes on the young player.

Clark was drafted by the Indiana Fever in April following a dominant collegiate career at the University of Iowa. She has since become a towering figure in conversations surrounding women’s athletics.

When asked about growing the women’s league while balancing a rising star such Clark, Silver explained on a broadcast of the NBA Finals fans should be patient and not put too many expectations on the rookie player.

“I think Caitlin knows she’s ultimately got to prove it on the floor,” he said. “You can’t anoint stars in this league. There’s other names that weren’t on your list that were going to be the next fill-in-the-blank and they turned out not to be just because of their performance.”

He added, however, that Clark has an immense potential for success as long as she is allowed to learn and grow as many first-year players do.

“I believe she’s going to deliver, she seems to have the character and the drive and the will and the talent,” he said. “Let her evolve as a player. I want to take the pressure off her. Not put more pressure on her.”

University of Connecticut women’s basketball head coach Geno Auriemma last week argued many of Clark’s most devoted fans likely do not understand what it takes to become a great athlete at such a high level.

“The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying ‘she’s going to go into that league and tear it apart,’” Auriemma said. “She’s third or fourth in betting odds of being MVP of the WNBA. These people are so disrespectful and so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women’s basketball a bad name.”

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