Caitlin Clark was glowing, beaming like a student who had just finished her last exam of the semester. “I’m on vacation,” she said as she burst into her postgame press conference minutes at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. “This is the last time for a month, so get your questions in now.
” A welcomed recess was upon her. For the first time since March 2023, she was receiving an extended break as the WNBA season went on a 24-day pause for the Paris Olympics. “I honestly can’t wait to not touch a basketball for a while,” Clark said.
Though Clark’s omission from the U.S. Olympic team caused a stir among fans, her absence from the roster may turn into one of the best things to happen to her as a rookie.
Being left off Team USA has provided her with something more than motivation: time. Caitlin Clark signing off from her first WNBA All-Star Weekend pic.twitter.
com/VuQvAmO2KI — Indiana Fever (@IndianaFever) July 21, 2024 Her schedule has been a slog — although a successful one — that few athletes can compare, even most contemporaries in her rookie class. As one of the sport’s brightest stars, she’s fit in cross-country trips for awards ceremonies and appearances into a schedule built around practices and games (69 in all including college and WNBA preseason action). After logging more minutes per game than any WNBA rookie in the last 20 years, she was ready for a break.
With a chance to catch her breath, Clark seems poised to benefit when WNBA play resumes. �.