Veteran Teammate NaLyssa Smith Disagrees with Caitlin Clark, Giving Insight into Game Plan Ahead of WNBA Debut

The Fever is contemplating a spot in the playoffs this season. All thanks to their star recruit Caitlin Clark, who despite the backlash deserves the flowers. While almost everyone believed that the first overall pick would be an amazing pair for Aliyah Boston, she has shown that she is compatible with many more. In her debut loss to Dallas, Clark showed her immaculate doubling with Erica Wheeler. Now, Indiana has another duo on the roster with NaLyssa Smith joining the bandwagon.

After winning her home debut against the Dream, Clark was not quite satisfied with her performance. She said, “I don’t think I was that effective honestly. More than anything, I did a really good job of passing the ball, finding my teammates on the open roles.”

However, her veteran forward agreed to disagree with the rookie. Impressed with the efficiency and ball handling of Caitlin Clark on the floor, Smith said, “I’m going to piggy back and say she was effective.” Adding more praises for the former Hawkeye and giving a peek into their plan going into the regular season, she continued, “You know, pushing the ball, getting paint touches, a lot of assists for us. Everybody’s going to focus on the scoring aspect but she’s getting her teammates open. She’s getting us open shots and letting us get to the rim. So, everybody’s so focused on her, it’s giving us open opportunities and she’s passing the hell out of the ball.”

While Wheeler did not dress up for the 2024 home debut, her absence was a sort of warning that even without one of the leaders on the court, the Fever could still win. Bagging hopes for a playoff season ahead of them, let us see how the duo of Smith and Clark performed.

Caitlin Clark couples up with NaLyssa Smith

Clark may not have been the scoring leader in the game with Atlanta. Nevertheless, she did lead the entire game in rebounds. Giving everyone a vision of how amazing she is in every aspect of the game, the rookie guard grabbed 12 points and a game-high 8 rebounds. Additionally, she also continued her stellar passing by delivering 6 assists against the Wings. On the other hand, Smith’s game-high 21 points and 6 rebounds for the team proved how unstoppable she is. Further, Clark made a few assists through Smith as well who displayed outstanding basketball skills in the game.

The Indiana roster is surely turning out to be a great one this year. Although Caitlin Clark and Co. did lose their first preseason exhibition, over time, it is apparent that the chemistry between the team both on and off the court is quite unique. It will be interesting to see their journey together as they try to make an appearance in the playoffs this season.