"That was so pure" - Ben Shelton in awe of Caitlin Clark's stunning 3-pointer for Indiana Fever against Seattle Storm
Ben Shelton was left in awe of Caitlin Clark's stunning three-pointer for the Indiana Fever against the Seattle Storm. He described the shot as "pure."
Clark, a former college basketball player for the Iowa Hawkeyes, broke several NCAA records during her time with the team. She led Iowa to three Big 10 Tournament titles and back-to-back NCAA Championship game appearances.
In April 2024, Clark, who plays as a guard, was selected as the first overall pick by the Indiana Fever in the WNBA Draft. Her transition to the professional league was a highly anticipated one.
On Thursday, May 30, Indiana suffered their eighth loss of the season, falling to Seattle for the second time, with a final score of 103-88. Despite the loss, Caitlin Clark put on a stellar performance and scored 20 points and nine assists.
The 22-year-old had found her rhythm in the second quarter and scored 12 points, including two impressive 3-pointers. One of these shots, which was taken from behind the arc, had sparked a brief altercation between Clark and Seattle Storm’s Victoria Vivians.
The video of Caitlin Clark's three-pointer and the ensuing confrontation with Vivians quickly went viral on social media.
Ben Shelton, who, like Caitlin Clark, had transitioned to playing professional tennis after playing college tennis tournaments, shared the video on his social media platform.
Shelton called the 3-pointer made by Clark "pure" and likened the sound the ball made as it 'swished' through the net to the sound of metal nets on outdoor courts at American middle schools.
"Bruh that swish was so pure it sounded like those metal nets they have on outdoor courts at middle schools 😂 . Flashbacks," Shelton captioned his Instagram story.
Ben Shelton on playing college tennis: "It's all fair game, stuff can get pretty personal"
Ben Shelton is currently in Paris, competing at the 2024 French Open. He has advanced to the third round at Roland Garros second-round opponent Kei Nishikori retired from their match during the third set due to an injury.
During the post-match press conference, Shelton talked about his experience of playing college tennis compared to competing on the ATP Tour. He revealed that the atmosphere at college tournaments gets more personal, with spectators sometimes crossing the line by mentioning a player's family or girlfriend.
"I mean I'm not going to say the things that the guys said to me but obviously the favorite topics when you're playing college tennis - they'll talk about your family, they'll talk about your girlfriend and anything that you've ever posted on the internet," Shelton said [at 06:48].
Ben Shelton acknowledged that the taunts from the crowd at college matches can sometimes be unpleasant, but he stated that he has never encountered such behavior from fans on the ATP Tour.
"It's all fair game so some of the stuff can get pretty personal but I've never experienced that since I've been out on tour," he said.
Ben Shelton will next face Felix Auger-Aliassime in the fourth round of the 2024 French Open.