It was as if two generations of WNBA had collided. The revolutionary rookie of 2008, Candace Parker, met up with the phenom Caitlin Clark at Game 3 of the NBA Finals. Clark gazed at Parker with admiration, recognizing that she now has the responsibility of carrying the torch for the next generation. And that look? It was all the internet needed to spiral into chaos. Because really, who can resist going awww after seeing the league’s current face wide-eyed and starstruck? But we get it – we get Clark’s reaction. Parker’s rookie season didn’t just shake the league; it helped redefine it. She’s since become a legend, and some might argue, her debut year remains the gold standard, even with Clark in the mix.

After being drafted at No.1 by the Los Angeles Sparks, Parker went on to score 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists in her W debut, which is still the best display by a rookie to date. The same year, Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 33 games in her rookie year while winning the Rookie of the Year award and her first MVP award. She is still the only player to win both honors in one season. And why not? After all, she propelled a team that finished 10-24 in 2007 to a third-place finish and the 2008 WNBA Playoffs. 

Naturally, Parker has become the benchmark every rookie hopes to chase. So it’s no surprise that today’s rising stars often name her as the first player they remember watching in awe. Aliyah Boston and Sonia Citron had Parker as their childhood idols. Even Washington rookie all-star Kiki Iriafen said, “Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker at the LA Sparks, growing up in LA. Those are my favourite players growing up, too.” While Clark did not feature in this video, Parker would be one of the first players she looked at, too. 

In fact, most of the athletes in the video took Parker’s name. Her name just kept popping up. And it makes sense, especially given the timing of her rise. In 2008, the current generation of Clark, Citron, Boston, and the others were just getting into basketball at the ages of around 6 and 7. Their first taste was the brilliance of Parker, and she is determined to mentor this generation of players, including Clark. The legend shook off all the “jealousy” narrative earlier this year.

“You know, it’s so crazy to me because I’m asked so many times if I’m resentful in any type of way for where the WNBA is right now,” Parker said on ESPN’s ‘The Take’ with Stephen A. Smith. “My job was to leave the game better than I came into it. You think Cheryl Miller is resentful for me that I had a league to play in? No, she’s being the mentor that she is, and she’s supporting and loving and sitting courtside, cheering on JuJu Watkins. And I’m doing the same for Caitlin Clark and all the women in the WNBA.”

Sure, not everyone appreciated it when Parker called out the media’s obsession with Clark and Reese, but her take was grounded in reason. She’s also pushed back against the idea that the league is being unusually rough with Clark, arguing that physical play is simply part of the rookie experience for any rising star. Instead, Parker has urged fans and pundits alike to shift the focus back to the game itself, not the noise surrounding it.

Along with that, she has also offered praise where it was due. “I think Caitlin Clark has done that, even in her first year, in terms of being able to be that floor general, her and Aliyah Boston’s connection has really improved,” Parker said on Jemele Hill’s Spolitics podcast, “And I think the thing about Caitlin, yes she can shoot from the logo, but she makes her team better.” 

Parker is the ideal mentor for Clark; she’s walked the very path Clark is navigating now. They have mutual respect and admiration for each other, as evidenced by their meeting at the NBA finals. Both Parker and the Fever star stand as ambassadors for the women’s game and have an important role to play in the growth of this league. Just like Parker inspired Clark, the point guard is doing the same for Gen Alpha.

Kids Go Wild After Meeting Caitlin Clark For The First Time

While Caitlin Clark is having a relatively quiet time on the court, off the court, she is making a big difference back home in Des Moines. Her Caitlin Clark foundation is helping build new basketball and soccer courts in four different schools in her home state. Clark attended the ribbon cutting for one of those at the McCombs Middle School and even distributed backpacks and school supplies while meeting with the kids.

The students had a once-in-a-lifetime experience of interacting with the generational player. One student fist bumped the star and couldn’t contain his excitement as he shouted with glee. He later said, “I’m never washing my hands again.” Other young boys, clearly in awe, shouted things like, “She’s better than Stephen Curry.” Another student said, “ I don’t even care if she can’t dunk, bro, she’s better than LeBron James.”

This further showed that the Caitlin Clark effect is not about just the numbers. Clark is leaving a mark on the next generation and making a difference. Let’s be honest, the kids of the previous generation only saw NBA athletes as their real role models, but the kind of change Clark is inducing, she is forcing her name into the conversation and even surpassing her NBA counterparts in some sense. While the direct comparisons may be a hyperbole, the impact is not. 

Clark has been revolutionary in every sense. You look at pure numbers, her interactions with fans, and her on-court exploits, and she is leading the way almost everywhere. Because of which she has earned the respect of previous legends like Parker.