For the majority of her career, it’s been Caitlin Clark who has been on the receiving end of praise from her male counterparts in the NBA, but on Sunday, the tide changed. After all, we’ve seen CC get her flowers from veterans like LeBron James and Steph Curry, but this time, it was San Antonio center Victor Wembanyama’s record-setting NBA playoff spree that prompted Clark to share a token of appreciation.

Wembanyama’s heroics emerged in the first half of San Antonio’s playoff game 1 against the Portland Trail Blazers. The 7’4 center scored 21 points in just the opening 24 minutes of the game, setting a record for the most halftime points by a player playing his first playoff game in the play-by-play era. The Spurs center overshadowed players like Kyrie Irving and Brandon Jennings, who held the previous record with 20 points.

And, of course, it was quite substantial enough to earn a reaction from the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year, Clark. The Indiana Fever guard shared a post on her X handle with a three-word message for the San Antonio center. “Wemby is ridiculous,” her post read.

Victor Wembanyama concluded the game with 35 points, 5 rebounds, and an assist as the Spurs sailed past the Portland Trail Blazers 111-98. But beyond all these on-court heroics and playoff wins, it was this off-court camaraderie between two of the greatest of their generation that was another major highlight away from the hardwood.

Clark and Wembanyama transitioned to the pro scene at the same time. Both also won Rookie of the Year awards in their respective leagues back in 2024 and are franchise players on their teams. Their playing positions are majorly contrasting. While Clark is a high-scoring point guard, Wembanyama is an elite rim protector who also emphasizes volume scoring.

But these contrasting skill sets don’t set them apart from appreciating each other. While CC’s appreciation for the San Antonio center was on display during the playoff game, Wembanyama hasn’t trailed behind in giving Clark her flowers. It was during a 2024 press conference, when both Clark and Wembanyama were finding their footing in their pro careers, that the latter revealed she was awestruck by Clark’s skill set on display for Iowa during her collegiate days.

“I think Caitlin Clark,” Wembanyama said of the WNBA player who inspired him immensely. “When she was in college, [she was] the only college player that I was really in awe of their game, you know. I’m saying men and women’s college basketball, she’s probably the most impressive I’ve seen.”

Notably, Victor Wembanyama’s record-breaking performance gave the Spurs an early advantage in this 7-game playoff series. Wembanyama and the Spurs’ next faceoff against the Trail Blazers is on Tuesday.

While the 22-year-old chases his first playoff success with the Spurs, he is also chasing his first MVP Award of the season. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark is gearing up for her WNBA return with the Indiana Fever, set to tip off in a few weeks, after an injury-laden 2025 season.

While Wembanyama is already making a historic impact in the NBA playoffs, Clark, by her own admission, believes she has quite a journey ahead to achieve similar postseason success in the WNBA.

Caitlin Clark Feels She Has a ‘Long Way to Go’ for Fostering a Legacy of Her Own

With Caitlin Clark, one question has always been synonymous: What’s the ceiling of her pro career? In terms of skill set, her prowess is second to none and needs no further explanation. But what she can achieve on an individual note and with the team in the upcoming stages of her career is something that has always been under the microscope.

Now, CC herself has cleared the air over this question. Speaking at a press conference amid the Indiana Fever’s first day at the training camp, Clark clearly highlighted that she has a long way to go in her career to attain success in terms of her playoff appearances as well. The Indiana Fever guard also stressed the need for her to be healthy, which she feels was immensely boosted by her appearance for Team USA last month during the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in Puerto Rico.

“I’ve only played 60 WNBA games, so I’ve got ways to go still,” Clark said. “Just maintain my health, and I think USA Basketball was really good for me to kind of get back there and get my feet under me. And you’re playing with the best players in the world, so I don’t think there’s a better setting for me to kind of get back into it.”

“I have a long way to go to continue to get better, and I think that’s the exciting part. This is the beginning of year three, but as I said, I’ve played just 60 games. I think I might be a little off there, but I only appeared in two playoff games, so I’ve got ways to go still,” Clark added further.

The upcoming WNBA season will be immensely important for Caitlin Clark. The Fever guard is returning to the W after just 13 games last year, due to her right groin injury. But as little as we saw of her for Team USA in the qualifiers, CC never looked rusty, ending the tournament as the MVP. On top of that, the Fever has managed to assemble a decorated roster this season, featuring players like Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston.

And with Clark being fit, she can convincingly chase another playoff run this season and even an MVP award like her male counterpart, Victor Wembanyama. With just a little time left until the season tip-off, what are your expectations of Caitlin Clark for the season? Do let us know in the comments.