Caitlin Clark has been incredible (Image: Getty)
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has hailed sensational rookie season with the stating that she has “set the world on fire”. Silver was in attendance at the Indiana Pacers’ game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday evening, where he took the opportunity to meet 22-year-old Clark who was seated courtside.
Although it remains unclear what the pair discussed during their brief interaction, Silver publicly praised Clark’s impressive list of accomplishments. Speaking on FanDuel Sports Network Indiana, Silver said: “Caitlin Clark set the world on fire, not just this community.”
He added: “People are seeing how deep this league is, how good the quality of basketball is. I jokingly said this league is a 28-year overnight sensation.” Clark first made waves in the basketball world at U16 level, securing gold in the FIBA Americas Championship in 2017 before going on to win at U19 in the FIBA World Cups in Thailand and Hungary.
The young star chose to pursue her studies at the University of Iowa while honing her skills with the Hawkeyes, reports . From 2020 to 2024, Clark received numerous prestigious awards for her performances with the team, including two AP Player of the Year awards, John R. Wooden accolades, and James E. Sullivan awards, as well as a pair of Naismith College Player of the Years and USBWA National Player of the Years.
Clark’s collegiate achievements are just the beginning, with her famous No. 22 jersey being retired by the Iowa Hawkeyes. She was chosen as the first overall pick of the 2024 draft by the Fever in April this year and made her debut the following month in a 92-71 defeat to Connecticut Sun.
Despite the loss, Clark managed to score 20 points and made 10 turnovers the highest number from a debutant in WNBA history, hinting at an impressive first season in the big leagues. Thanks to a whirlwind campaign, Clark helped the Fever reach their first playoffs in eight years, although they were defeated by the Sun once more in a best-of-three series.
Caitlin Clark has received props from NBA commissioner Adam Silver (Image: Getty Images)
The point guard broke several prestigious WNBA records during her rookie season, including becoming the first Fever player in history to record a triple-double, setting the WNBA single-season record in turnovers, breaking the WNBA rookie assists record, scoring a league-high 122 three-pointers, and becoming the fastest woman to break 100 three pointers in the WNBA.
Thanks to her efforts, Clark finished the regular season with an average of 19.2 points, 8.4 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, and subsequently won the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year award after receiving 66 of the 67 total votes. Fans will be eagerly anticipating how Clark continues to excel as the 2025 season begins.