"People waiting to see her fail" - Former NBA champion equates Caitlin Clark to LeBron James for living up to WNBA hype

By Juan Paolo David

Modified Sep 17, 2024 02:43 GMT

Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins compared Caitlin Clark to LeBron James in terms of living up to the hype. Clark has broken records in her first year in the WNBA and led the Indiana Fever to the playoffs. Similarly, James was one of the most hyped rookies in NBA history, winning rookie of the year in 2004.

Speaking on the latest episode of ESPN's "NBA Today," the crew of Chiney Ogwumike, Rebecca Lobo and Perkins discussed Clark's rookie year. Perkins pointed out that many were rooting for the Iowa product to fail but she exceeded the hype surrounding her.

"I'm looking at her the way I look at LeBron James right for as just in the women's side of things. The hype that she had, the expectations she had to live up to, packing out arenas on a day-to-day basis. A lot of people waiting to see her fail and still keeping her composure as a rookie and leading this team has been a beautiful thing," Perkins said. [3:28 - 3:51]

There was a lot of hype surrounding Caitlin Clark after four record-breaking years at Iowa. Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever and many expected her to come out of the gate firing. However, she struggled early and there were many questions about her adjustment to being a pro.

Fast forward to the final stretch of the season, Clark is leading the league in assists per game. She also broke the record for most assists in a season and the most points scored by a rookie in a season. She's expected to win the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award over Angel Reese, who also had a historic rookie campaign.

On the other hand, LeBron James was dubbed as the "Chosen One" entering the NBA coming out of high school. James lived up to the hype to win the 2004 NBA Rookie of the Year and exceeded all the expectations.

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Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever locked into the No. 6 spot

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever locked into the No. 6 spot. (Photo: IMAGN)

The 2024 WNBA playoffs are scheduled to start on Sept. 22 and the Indiana Fever are locked into the No. 6 spot. Caitlin Clark and company are most certainly facing the Connecticut Sun in the first round although things could still change depending on the results of several other games on the schedule.

The Las Vegas Aces and Minnesota Lynx could also end up as the No. 3 seed though the Sun have the best chance to finish in that position. The Sun dominated the Fever in their first three matchups before Indiana got a win late in the season.

Meanwhile, the Aces swept the Fever in their season series and the Lynx are 2-1 against them. Indiana has a record of 2-9 against the three teams but they are capable of pulling off an upset based on how they have been playing since the Olympic break.