Elucidating Caitlin Clark’s ‘Struggles’, Rookie Cameron Brink’s Teammate Kia Nurse Explains Dealing With WNBA’s Physicality

Caitlin Clark has been the center of attention since she was drafted into the WNBA. However, unfortunately for her fans, Clark hasn’t been able to replicate her NCAA performances. Previously in an interview, she had complained of physicality and since her arrival on the big stage, she has been adjusting to the ropes of the WNBA. Taking cognizance of the same, Los Angeles Sparks star Kia Nurse spoke of the physicality during her time.

Nurse was present during an interview with Keyshawn when she remarked about the physical pressures when she was drafted in the league. And through her reply fans got a hang of the WNBA in the last decade. The video of the same was posted on All Facts No Breaks.

Kia Nurse resonates Caitlin Clark’s words

Nurse, answering about the physicality during her days, revealed it was quite similar to how it is now and suggested that it had come to notice only quite recently. “I will say you know what ultimately it was as physical when I came into the league as it is now. I just think you didn’t see it as much. There’s obviously a lot more coverage and more people watching the games… more games on national television and I don’t think people saw as much physicality as they did now because they weren’t watching,” Nurse divulged.

Nurse was drafted in the WNBA 2018 draft as the tenth overall pick by the New York Liberty. She too had to go through the same tenuous days as every rookie goes in the beginning while adjusting to the WNBA. She appeared in 34 games and scored 9.12 points per game with 2.4 rebounds per contest. Her stats improved the next season and that might have been when she got the hang of the WNBA and conquered her issues. Currently, Nurse plays for the Los Angeles Sparks to which she was traded in 2024, and is a teammate to Cameron Brink.

Meanwhile, Clark is facing a lot of problems due to physicality. Instances with Chennedy Carter, DiJonai Carrington, and Angel Reese, have been some of the talking points of late in the WNBA world involving Clark. But against numerous narratives, the Fever rookie has taken quite well to the ways of the game.  

Caitlin Clark spoke about her issues

Clark after her debut had initially stated about the problems with her current game. She spoke of the physicality and how it was going to take her some time to make her way through the WNBA. And it proved right during the games when she was easily screened by two to three defenders and also shoved to the ground in some matches.

“The physicality is definitely up there. … I’m easily pushed off screens. The more I play and the more comfortable I get, it’s going to slow down a little bit. It will be easier for me to make reads, see things develop,” Clark said.

While the rookie is still adjusting, she has certainly wrapped her head around the physicality. “It is what it is,” she said accepting the fouls were a part of the game and the emotion and passion they played it with. “It’s going to get physical,” she says, accepting both the teams are only trying to win at the end of the day. She is averaging a decent 16.1 points per game with 6.2 assists in 14 games so far.