Caitlin Clark is 23 years old right now. Mature, in her own lane, and just steadily growing. But you know what? Even 17-year-old CC wasn’t all that different. That whole “overrated” tag some folks still try to throw on her? That’s old news. She’s been dealing with that. Back in high school, when fans chanted “overrated” at her, she calmly dropped 42 points like it was just another day. That’s her vibe. Talk trash, and she’ll respond with buckets. 

And as they say, game recognizes game. So who better to shut that down than a WNBA vet who’s been hooping for nearly a decade? Well, in her newly launched podcast “Courtney’s Dad and Her,” Courtney Williams and her dad pulled no punches when it came to the CC slander. “You talking about Caitlin Clark overrated? That girl ain’t overrated,” her dad said. The W star immediatedly joined saying, “Hell nooooo!!”

“She’s bringing the heat. She’s crossing them up and them (the fans) pulling up. Shoutout to Caitlin!” her dad added. And then Courtney jumped in with her own rookie-year flashbacks, talking about just how rough that leap from college to pro really is. But Clark made it look easy. “I just think about my rookie year and I think about how I came into the league and it was such a crazy transition for me to just understand what it’s like to play at pro level,” she said. 

Williams was selected as the 8th overall pick in the 2016 WNBA Draft by the Phoenix Mercury. But right out of the gate, her rookie season was a bit of a rollercoaster. She appeared in just six games for the Mercury, averaging only 4.2 minutes per game. Then, mid-season, she got traded to the Connecticut Sun, and that’s when things started to change. With the Sun, she finally got some decent playing time—19 games to be exact—and averaged 17.2 minutes per game. 

During that stretch, she put up 8.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game, with a solid 42.7% shooting from the field and 30.8% from deep. The baller adapted, no doubt. But here’s the thing, she knows how hard it is. And that’s why she’s got nothing but respect for Caitlin Clark. In her own words: “This girl (CC) coming in as a rookie and going crazy, like she broke the record for assists. I don’t think people really understand like how crazy that is to do as a rookie…your first year doing this.”

Can we argue? Caitlin didn’t just adjust, she thrived. She broke a single-season rookie scoring record with 761 points, passing Seimone Augustus’ previous record of 744 points from 2006. Her 19.5 points per game is the fourth-highest ever for a WNBA rookie.  The last time a rookie had a scoring average that high was in 2018 when A’ja Wilson dropped 20.7 points per game for the LV Aces.

Plus, Clark also she led the league in assists, averaging 8.4 per game, the highest ever for a rookie. Took her team to the playoffs for the first time since 2016, and honestly, she played like she’d been doing it for years. So, when we look at her impact and the numbers, that “overrated” label just doesn’t add up.

But we know, it has followed her for quite a while now. Even after scoring 30 points in a national championship game in her final year, some critics still said it wasn’t enough. Iowa blew an 11-point lead and ended up getting outplayed by South Carolina, losing 87-75 in the NCAA final. Some fans were quick to point out that Clark, after starting hot, kind of disappeared in the second half of that game. “Caitlin Clark is 0-2 in the championship round, so sadly I have no choice but to conclude that she actually is overrated,” one fan tweeted.

And now, even as a pro, she’s still hearing it. But none of that is slowing the 2024 ROTY down. Whether she’s doing her thing on the court or off it, she’s here to stay, and she’s making sure everyone knows.

Caitlin Clark rises to no. 2 in jersey sales

The No. 22 Indiana Fever superstar came in as the second-best-selling basketball jersey in the US last fall, only trailing NBA legend Steph Curry. That’s no small feat. But Clark’s merch dominance isn’t just a one-time thing. 

When the Fever picked her as the No. 1 overall draft pick in April 2024, her jersey sold out in less than an hour. In fact, she  became the top-selling draft pick in Fanatics’ history, making waves before even hitting the court. Then, her impact on WNBA sales was insane last season. By last summer’s All-Star break, Fanatics reported a 1,000% year-over-year jump in player-specific gear sales, and guess who led the charge? You guessed it…Clark, alongside fellow rookies like Angel Reese and Kate Martin.

And here’s a bold prediction from analyst Rachel DeMita. “I think the top five jersey sales this year in the WNBA are going to be either rookies or sophomores,” she said. Who she thinks will be on top? Yes, Clark, Angel Reese, and Paige Bueckers—three faces that are definitely changing the game. 

Not to forget, Kate Martin, who’s now going to be rocking it for the Golden State Warriors. We already know that social media is all over these stars, and that only boosts their popularity. And now, with Bueckers coming in hot as the No. 1 pick for the Dallas Wings, it looks like the rookie hype train is only getting started.

But Caitlin Clark’s spot at the top is still hers. Let’s see what records this young generation of the WNBA break next, both on and off the court.