Caitlin Clark just capped off the most prolific rookie season in WNBA history, winning the league’s Rookie of the Year Award in a landslide. But while she dominated the league and clearly very much enjoyed her first season in the WNBA, it sounds like there is one thing she is not exactly happy about: the league calendar.
The WNBA season stretches across the entire summer with the regular season beginning in early May and ending in late September. This is obviously a time when players would like to be able to travel and spend some time outside, and that includes Clark.
During a video interview that involved WNBA legend Sue Bird at an event for Nike on Monday, Caitlin Clark expressed her displeasure with the current league calendar that prohibits her from spending the summer doing what she wants – playing golf.
“The only downside about the WNBA is [that it’s] during the summer. That’s when you golf,” Clark said according to Fox News. “So I’ve had my golf take a back seat to basketball.”
while this comment from Clark is mostly in jest – she obviously understands the need to prioritize basketball over her golf game – this is not actually the first time she has seemed to express her displeasure at the league schedule.
During an interview back in June, Clark said that she was feeling “deprived of the sun,” which makes sense considering the amount of time the players must spend inside during the summer months rather than traveling.
Needless to say, Clark’s displeasure with the league calendar sparked a lot of reactions from fans in the comments.
“She could singlehandedly collapse the WNBA if she wanted to. If she were to sign with a new league, that’s the end of the WNBA. There has never been an individual more critical to the future of one league,” one fan wrote in the comments of the Fox News story.
“FINALLY, Ms. Clark has the upper hand. To force changes in the WNBA to the betterment of the players…or just walk away and take her fans (AND the new-found popularity of the league) with her,” another fan added.
“She should start her own league so she benefits on the equity side, not just as a salaried player. Why should she behave any differenly than superstar engineers, managers or entrepreneurs in business behave? Take equity in stock, plus salary. She’s creating unbelievable value,” another fan wrote.
“The conflict in the schedule is just one of many likely reasons to bail on the WNBA,” another fan said.
“Strike while the irons are hot. I would actually watch golf if she turns pro, but her basketball skills and character will hopefully change the WNBA for the better,” another person added.
We’ll have to see whether or not Clark can force a change to the league calendar.
[Fox News]
