“The Caitlin Rules”: WNBA Fans Remember Michael Jordan after Coach Nate Tibbetts’ Plan to Stop Caitlin Clark Doesn’t Sit Right

Two to three. That’s the number of defenders Caitlin Clark needs to be guarded against lest she scores a basket. Clark has had several players screening her throughout her WNBA career. That has certainly affected the 22-year-old and decreased her points average when compared to what she had in the NCAA. Now that Clark is ready to compete against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, their head coach Nate Tibbetts presented his strategies to stop the WNBA sensation from scoring, which made fans remember the legendary Michael Jordan.

Tibbetts was present during a pre-game conference when, as per a famous X handle, he gave an insight on how she was looking to strategically manage Clark. His game plan, if executed well, could result in the Mercury gaining an upper hand and ultimately winning the game. And from Tibbetts’s talks, fans got an idea of how dangerous Clark is.

“We’re gonna have a lot of people guard Caitlin. There’s going to be times where we try to force Caitlin to her right hand. There’s gonna be times where we blitz. You’re gonna see some zone. We’re gonna mix it up,” Tibbetts stated.

Tibbetts followed the old rule of screening Clark by a number of defenders. Plus, as per him, he would force Clark to take the unfavorable steps in the game and catch hold of her while doing it. He would further mix his strategies well so that Clark cannot anticipate their next move and fall prey to their acumen.

Despite not giving her best performances, Clark has certainly shown a flair for the game at the highest level. She averages a decent 16.2 points per game, which is a testament to her willpower. And during her learning curve, she has added 5.5 rebounds per match and 6.6 assists per game, which is quite commendable. However, when fans heard of Tibbetts’ tactics, they couldn’t help but remember his Airness.

Fans compare Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan

“What does she bring to the table? Oh, I don’t know.  Just the entire defense on the opposing team having to guard her,” a fan commented. The user was most probably referring to Chennedy Carter’s statements when she had claimed after a feud with Clark during the game against the Fever in early June that Clark only brought three-point shooting skills to the game. The fan looked to be mocking Carter for her statement. 

“Someone needs to write a book and call it The Caitlin Rules,” another fan stated. The fan thus compared Clark to Jordan referring to the book – The Jordan Rules, which was a list of successful defensive strategies employed against the NBA legend by Detroit Piston. 

“So much focus on a rookie who they try to convince us isn’t all that and having a rough season.,” another fan took a dig at analysts who have been opining that Clark is having a tough season. Sure her stats are not the same as that compared to her NCAA games, but the reason has been an increased physicality and more number of defenders pursuing her much like how Tibbetts has planned.

“Now tell me again how Caitlin will have trouble transitioning from college to wnba,” another fan commented. The user was pointing to the fact that like many others the Mercury star Diana Taurasi in one of her chat shows during April this year had commented that Clark would be having difficulty when she makes it into the W. The user was sarcastically taking a dig at Taurasi’s statements against whom Clark is competing today.

“Maybe HC Sides strategy is to go on a losing streak and get #1 Draft pick Paige Buckets  in 2025 cuz I’m running outa answers…,” one user also didn’t spare the Fever coach Christie Sides. The netizen must be pointing to the fact that Sides didn’t let Clark take a shot in the final minutes of the game against the Chicago Sky last Sunday. Hence, depriving Clark of that three-pointer got the Fever in trouble as they lost by 88-87 margin. 

Perhaps, it is this support for Clark that has helped her become the player she is. And hopefully, she will continue to demonstrate it in today’s game against the Mercury. Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.