Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever returned to action Friday night for the first time since the WNBA's All-Star break and subsequent Olympic break. Despite not having played a game in a month, Clark looked better than ever out the gate for the second half of the season.
The Fever's superstar rookie dropped 29 points to go with 10 assists and five rebounds, while making four threes. It was one of her best all-around performances of the season, and it prompted an eye-opening theory from NBA great Kevin Garnett.
Garnett appears to have been more than impressed with Clark's first game back from the monthlong break, and he suggested that her omission from the Olympic team was actually a blessing rather than a disservice.
Garnett shared his thoughts on X:
"What if [CaitlinClark]'s Olympic break was the offseason adjustment for the league that [WNBA]
rookies don’t get before their 1st season… s--- looked crazy out there yesterday…" wrote Garnett. "Can tell she was in the film room..."
What if @CaitlinClark22’s Olympic break was the off season adjustment for the league that @wnba rookies don’t get before their 1st season… shyt looked crazy out there yesterday… 💯
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) August 17, 2024
Can tell she was in the film room…
It's certainly an interesting theory, considering NBA rookies have a full offseason to train for the regular season after getting drafted.
Clark was selected by Indiana as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft on April 15. The Fever had their first preseason game on May 3, less than three weeks after the draft, and played their regular season opener on May 14, not even a full month after the draft.
Garnett suggests that Clark was in the lab during the Olympic break, using the additional time away to help make some needed adjustments to her game in the WNBA. What fans saw on Friday in the Fever's win over the Phoenix Mercury could just be a sign of what's to come from the prolific 22-year-old.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kevin Garnett Theorizes Caitlin Clark Missing Olympics Was Blessing in Disguise.
