Geno Auriemma is a respected member of the women’s college basketball community. Since joining the UConn Huskies in 1985, he has helped many players reach the WNBA while leading the team to 12 national titles, including one last season.
His success can be attributed to many factors. He has a great understanding of how the game works when it comes to the X’s and O’s of basketball. However, he also understands how to get the most out of his players. As a result, his opinion is trusted when he speaks about stars like Caitlin Clark.
Clark was drafted into the WNBA in 2024 as the first pick in the draft. In June 2024, Auriemma appeared on the “Dan Patrick Show” and spoke about Clark. While he complimented her for how she has handled the spotlight, he was critical of her ability to handle physicality.
Auriemma spoke about how Clark gets a lot of “S**t” from other players in the league. They harass her physically because she is so skilled. He then mentioned that while she gives it back, she is not built physically for the WNBA yet.
Auriemma continued speaking about Clark, emphasizing that she needs to be on a better team and to get more experience.
“When she gets it, she has elite skills that are going to help her,” Auriemma said (Timestamp 9:55). “She needs to be on a better team, and she needs to be more experienced.”
Auriemma went on to express his confidence that Clark will adapt to the WNBA and continue to grow as a player.
Despite Geno Auriemma’s Comments, Caitlin Clark Has Thrived Early in Her WNBA Career
While Geno Auriemma believed that Caitlin Clark needed more experience and a better team to thrive, that has not proved to be the case early in her career. As a rookie, she earned First Team All-WNBA honors. As a second-year player, she is in the MVP conversation despite missing time because of injuries.
According to FanDuel, Clark is the fifth most likely player to win the WNBA MVP with +7500 odds. The current favorite is Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier with -550 odds.
Clark has been one of the best players in the league despite not being on an elite team. In her rookie season, Indiana finished with a 20-20 record and narrowly qualified for the playoffs. They were sixth in a league with 12 teams. This year, through mid-July, the Fever are sixth in the league again, but there are now 13 teams.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
