Clark turns focus back to court

Caitlin Clark got back to the basics Sunday — working out on a basketball court.

Here, as the newest member of the Indiana Fever, she’s learning how she’ll fit into this new offensive system, building chemistry with her new teammates and learning the nuances of what it means to be the WNBA’s highest-profile rookie.

Sure, Clark anticipates some bumps this season; she wouldn’t expect anything less. But giving the sport she loves her full attention is really all Clark ever wanted.

“I think that’s what I was most excited for, getting all that other stuff out of the way,” the former Iowa star said as Indiana’s training camp opened. “The draft was amazing, New York City was amazing, Los Angeles was amazing, but I was excited to get here and get back to playing basketball, you know, doing my job.”

Over the past two seasons, these WNBA rookies have created the kind of buzz around women’s basketball most fans only dreamed about, and Clark is undisputedly at the head of the class.

Ticket sales increased at every venue she appeared and when Clark’s games were televised, ratings spiked. Her chase of the Division I career scoring record captivated basketball fans across America and she even appeared on “Saturday Night Live.”

Perhaps even more fittingly, the transition from the established stars to newcomers such as Clark officially started the same day another trail-blazing performer, Candace Parker, announced her retirement.

But, like Parker, Clark enters this season with one primary goal: Winning games.

Indiana hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2016, hasn’t posted a winning season since 2015.