The spotlight on Caitlin Clark during her rookie season may be brighter than ever on a WNBA player.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes superstar is finding out the hard way that things are not going to come easy for her in her rookie campaign in the WNBA. On Friday night, she was reminded of that as the Indiana Fever took on the defending champion Las Vegas Aces.

Early in the second quarter, Aces star Alysha Clark became enraged after she was called for a foul following Clark’s attempt to drive to the basket and score.

Clark took a huge hit to her face and got two free throws because of it.

Several pictures from that game show just how brutal that foul was. They show Alysha Clark with her right hand on Caitlin Clark’s neck, ripping her to the floor from behind.

A’ja Wilson, who led the Las Vegas Aces to a 99-80 victory over the Indiana Fever on Saturday night, demonstrated why she is perhaps the finest player in the league right now with 29 points and 15 rebounds. Rookie Caitlin Clark may be the WNBA’s future, but she witnessed in real-time what a superstar looks like.

In addition to her eight points on 2-of-8 shooting (2 of 5 from the 3-point range), Clark also had six turnovers, five rebounds, and seven assists, via ESPN.com. Coming in with an average of 16.7 points, it was Clark’s lowest point total as a professional.

Caitlin Clark Shared Heartbreaking Admission About Her Personal Life Amid Tough Professional Start To Her Career

It’s challenging for Caitlin Clark to lead the typical life she formerly knew because she is constantly harassed by fans and the media. 

She recently spoke on that fact.

“Honestly, I feel like I talk to the media more than I get to talk to my own family … which is really kind of sad, in a way,” Clark said during a press conference earlier this week. “It’s a lot for somebody that’s 22 years old. It can be tough at times.”

Being unable to talk with family makes this tough season even worse.

The WNBA didn’t do Clark and the Fever any favors with the early schedule. The team just had their seventh game in 12 days and third in four.