It is still early in the career of prolific Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark. But already, her skills have been quite evident. And she is now receiving comparisons to one of the greatest players in the history of basketball.
Thus far this season, Clark is averaging 19.5 points per game along with 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists. These stats are expected to result in Clark bringing in the WNBA Rookie of the Year award for the 2024 WNBA season.
But perhaps even more telling than the stats have been some of the highlights she has produced on the court that have brought fans in to watch WNBA basketball.
It’s must-watch television any game that Clark steps on the floor. And according to ESPN NBA analyst and former NBA center Kendrick Perkins, Clark’s ability to bring in a huge audience is comparable to future NBA Hall of Famer LeBron James.
“Here she is right now standing on business,” Perkins said on ESPN’s NBA Today.” “If I had to evaluate her season right now and give a fair evaluation, I would say she has lived up to expectations. I’m looking at her the way I look at LeBron James for the women’s side of things. The hype that she had, the expectation she had to live up to, packing out arenas on a day-to-day basis, a lot of people out there waiting to see her fail and still keeping her composure as a rookie and leading this team has been a beautiful thing to see.”
It says a lot for Perkins to make this comparison. Not only did Perkins compete against LeBron James in countless Eastern Conference battles while he was on the Boston Celtics, but he also ended up playing alongside James for multiple years near the end of his career.
Clearly, there is a lot of admiration from Perkins for Clark as she progresses throughout her rookie season. And while it’s unclear whether Clark will match the unbelievable career James has had in the NBA, she has clearly lived up to expectations to this point much like James did.
