During her NBA on NBC broadcast debut, Caitlin Clark said she models her game after one Los Angeles Lakers star.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark’s much anticipated broadcasting debut took place Sunday night as part of NBC’s NBA coverage.
It’s a pretty fitting gig for Clark, especially given the fact the WNBA has made little to no progress on a new CBA deal leaving the start to the season in jeopardy. So, while she waits and makes preparations for her third season, she joined NBC’s pregame show for the Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks matchup at Madison Square Garden. As her analyst colleagues began firing away questions at the world’s most popular female athlete, her responses were on point.
NBC’s Maria Taylor asked Clark if there was a certain NBA player or someone whom she watches particularly closely to add things to her own game. Clark answered quickly, and singled out Luka Doncic.
“Luka’s amazing the way he can not only score the ball but also the way he passes. He can get his defender to move where he wants them to go and he takes up that space, obviously he’s pretty incredible,” Clark said.
The feeling is mutual as Doncic previously named Clark his favorite women’s basketball player and even labeled her as the “woman Steph Curry”.
The two have other things in common as well, given each are brilliant passers and prolific shooters. And their court vision and ability to control the open floor make them a matchup nightmare for any team.
Clark also didn’t hesitate to disclose specific areas of her game she needs to improve on, and how emulating Doncic can help her get there.
“He’s not the fastest, he’s not the most athletic, but he can get his defender to move where he wants them to go and he takes up that space and he does a really good job at either keeping the defender behind him or keeping him to the side, so I think that’s something that I can certainly learn from,” Clark said.
“I kind of always want to run away from the defense rather than absorbing the contact or taking up the space they give me,” she added.
Once Clark learns to consistently bend the defense effectively and take what they give her, it will further open up more shot opportunities for her which will spell bad news for opposing teams. Borrowing from Doncic’s game could make Clark even more dangerous when she returns to WNBA action.
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