“Haven’t Touched a Basketball”: Caitlin Clark Imparts Healthy Recovery From Heartbreaking NCAA Final Loss Ahead of WNBA Draft

She may not have won the national championship, but she sure has won a whole lot more than that. Caitlin Clark’s hunger for success has been so deep-rooted that she didn’t stop after losing the 2023 NCAA title. Instead, she seems to have emboldened the faith many have in her to achieve bigger. Taking a break to reflect on the past few months, and with the WNBA draft only a few hours away, Clark sat down with ESPN, discussing insights on how she manages to keep her health on track.

As she puts it, “So, it’s been like what a week now since it’s ended, and I honestly haven’t touched a basketball. I think that’s honestly been kind of healthy for me. I think, you know, I’ve been lifting weights I’ve been running, staying in shape um but the college season definitely wore me down a little bit, so I think just getting out of the gym for a second and resetting your mind. and once the draft’s over I’ll go back to, you know, working out and playing basketball every single day.”

Competitive by nature, Clark also knows how to balance out the urge to constantly grind by taking breaks in between. She says, “I think at times it’s like oh my gosh I need to work out all the time because that’s how I’m driven but you know I think the healthiest part is you know I do need a little break before I go into this season cuz I’m going to be playing basketball for a year straight like that’s the biggest thing going from college basketball to pro basketball is like people don’t understand the quick turnaround.”

Given the limited time between all the big things happening around Clark, she is indeed running on the clock, “we’re going to be playing my first game on the day I would have graduated college so um yeah I think resetting my mind but also staying in shape and you know then I’ll get back to it after I get picked on Monday,” as she says.

She is all set for the next big thing, the WNBA draft. Meanwhile, let’s weigh into a few details of how pro basketball is different from college basketball as she pointed out.

A change of pace for Caitlin Clark

What Clark earlier said falls true to the sport; a massive difference between college basketball and professional basketball. First of all, in college basketball, it is in the nature of the sport that teams tend to make strong familial bonds. Since everyone’s in it from the very first day, they go through everything, the ups and downs, together. On the other hand, going pro means there is already a team that functions on the highest level, and you have to fit into it.

Similarly, going into the on-court details, the circumference of the ball is shorter in pro (at 28.5 inches) as compared to college basketball (at 29.5 inches). Secondly, it is all about scoring in the NCAA whereas, skillful play, strategy, and core teamwork turn into a different beast in pro basketball. More so, the pressure of the league. Although, these differences seem to be very minute, however, they have a major impact on the players’ gameplay.

Cameron Brink, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, and Aaliyah Edwards, are a few names, who will also be making this transition toward the big league. And they’re no doubt heavy hitters too. So, Clark will need to lace her boots to lay her claim, in what is her pursuit to become one of the finest basketball players to enter the WNBA.