Multiple WNBA players and coaches have publicly acknowledged just how much of a problem Caitlin Clark poses for opposing defenses. That is certainly a sentiment shared by the Minnesota Lynx guard Olivia Miles, who also recognizes just how difficult Clark can be to contain.
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During an appearance on The Old Man and the Three podcast, Miles was asked about the young guards in the WNBA who have impressed her the most and what makes them particularly difficult to defend. And among the players who immediately came to mind was none other than Caitlin Clark.
“Obviously, Caitlin, with the shooting and her playmaking ability,” Miles said. “She’s so good with her right hand attacking downhill and creating for others. And obviously in transition, she’s deadly. So, it is annoying to play against, right? Like, you got to guard her, and you got to make sure that you have bodies on her at all times and making it hard.”
It is safe to say that Miles is speaking from experience, as she and her Lynx teammates have had a couple of games in which they had to deal with Clark’s offensive brilliance. In their first meeting against the Fever this season, Clark put together an impressive double-double, finishing with 19 points and 10 assists. However, that was not enough to stop a red-hot Minnesota offense, which was spearheaded by Miles herself, as she poured in 28 points to lead the Lynx.
In their September 22 meeting, however, which came toward the end of the regular season, Caitlin Clark put on an absolute masterclass at home. She finished with 27 points, nine assists, seven rebounds, and four steals, shooting 50% from the floor (9-of-18) and recording a plus-16 rating. Her performance helped the Fever hand a shorthanded Lynx team a 96-77 blowout loss.
Beyond these examples of Clark’s ability to trouble opposing defenses, the Indiana star has repeatedly demonstrated why she has been such a difficult player to contain since entering the league. Her performance in the just-concluded season was another impressive demonstration of her deadly scoring and playmaking abilities. In fact, she elevated her game to an even more lethal level, averaging 22.3 points per game to rank third in the league. Alongside that, she also ranked second in the WNBA with an average of 8.3 assists per game.
With a total of 114 three-pointers over the 40-game schedule, Clark also ranked fourth in the WNBA in three-point shots made. And when her 22.3 points per game are combined with the scoring opportunities generated through her 8.3 assists, she was responsible for creating more than 41.2 points per game for the Indiana Fever, ranking first in the league in total points created.
Back in June, Los Angeles Sparks star Kelsey Plum also spoke about the problems Clark presents for opposing defenses. She, however, also offered quite a few pointers on how to contain the Fever guard.
“There’s multiple things you have to do to slow her down,” she said. “You’re not gonna fully stop her. Point number one, your pickup points. Staying between her and the basket is key; she thrives in transition. So your pickup point is huge. The other thing is being aggressive, but disciplined… She’s gonna hit some tough shots, but you wanna play the numbers over the course of the game and do what you can do.”
Ironically, that advice did not seem to apply when the Sparks faced the Fever in May and suffered an 87-78 defeat. Caitlin Clark finished that game with 24 points, nine assists, four rebounds, and two steals, giving Los Angeles’ defense plenty to worry about. She shot 9-of-17 from the field and came just one assist shy of a double-double as she led Indiana to a comfortable road victory.
The Sparks, however, were able to contain her when the two teams met again in July, limiting her to just nine points, three assists, and four rebounds in a game Los Angeles won 106-92. However, that was also Clark’s return after missing time with a back injury. She was playing under a strict minute’s restriction, logging just 16 minutes, and struggled to find her rhythm, shooting 4-of-12 from the floor.
Still, as Miles’ and Plum’s comments suggest, containing Caitlin Clark requires constant defensive attention, discipline, and bodies around her at all times. Whether it is her ability to attack downhill, create for teammates, or punish defenses in transition, the Fever star has consistently shown why she remains one of the most challenging guards to defend in the WNBA.