Women's Fastbreak On SI

Caitlin Clark Has Been a Monster Since Olympics Snub

A staggering stat comparison proves Caitlin Clark's prophetic text to Christie Sides after her Olympics snub proved true.

Grant Young

Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Sky during the second half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 30, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) celebrates after scoring against the Chicago Sky during the second half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / kamil krzaczynski-usa today sports

Anybody who has watched the Indiana Fever play of late can tell that they're a completely different team from the one that started this WNBA season with a 1-8 record.

This is proven by their 16-8 record since that point (including going 8-2 in their last 10 games and currently riding a four-game winning streak), which has vaulted Indiana up to the No. 6 seed in the WNBA standings.

Rookie sensation Caitlin Clark has been a crucial component of this success. And a set of statistics that went viral proves the point where Clark flipped the switch, so to speak.

Fever coach Christie Sides went viral back in June for telling the media that Clark texted her, “Hey coach, they woke a monster” after Clark found out that she was not selected to the Team USA Paris Olympics roster.

On Tuesday, X user @CClarkReport posted a statistical comparison between before and after that point; which proved her prophetic statement to be true.

Before this notorious text was sent, Clark averaged 16.8 points per game on 37% shooting from the field along with 5.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Since that point, Clark has averaged 19.8 points per game on 45% shooting from the field, plus 5.8 rebounds and a whopping 9.5 assists per game.

While much of this can surely owed to Clark's natural progression and development in the WNBA, the difference suggests that Clark did get extra motivation from the Olympics snub.

Although Clark has been even better since the WNBA's month-long Olympics break ended; averaging 24.6 points per game in that span.

While it would have been great to see the 22-year-old generational talent playing for Team USA in Paris, Clark getting to rest and recharge instead has turned the Fever into one of the WNBA's most terrifying teams.

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Grant Young

GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.

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