TENNIS legend Serena Williams had some words of wisdom for WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
The 23-time Grand Slam winner gave the Indiana Fever star advice on how to deal with critics.
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Clark, 22, has been in the intense spotlight for several months.
The former Iowa standout has had her accomplishments questioned and seen her name used in culture wars following her rapid rise to stardom.
The 6-foot guard’s omission from the Team USA roster for the 2024 Olympics has only intensified the debate over her arrival in the WNBA.
Asked about Clark’s situation, Williams, 42, emphasized with the Fever star.
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The tennis icon also told the WNBA rookie to keep up the good work in her rookie year.
“I love that she tries to stay grounded,” Williams said.
“She says she doesn’t look at her social life [media].
“I understand. Me either.
“I think it’s really important to continue doing what she’s doing.
“No matter what other people do, if people are negative it’s because they basically can’t do what you do.
“I hope she keeps doing what she’s doing.”
Clark averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds and 6.0 assists in her first 14 WNBA games.
She shot 36.7% from the field and 32.2% from 3.
Clark recently spoke about seeing his name continually pop up in a wide variety of debates at the intersection of sports and culture.
Caitlin Clark Fever
CAITLIN Clark’s impact was felt throughout the WNBA before she was even drafted.
The college superstar from Iowa went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever, a surprise to absolutely no one.
The Indiana Fever had 36 of their 40 games in the 2024 season scheduled for national TV – up from 22 last year.
Teams also moved their games against the Fever to larger arenas to meet extra ticket demand.
Clark helped the NCAA attract 18.9 million viewers to the women’s championship game, more than the 14.8 million who watched the men’s championship game.
She has also signed a contract with Nike worth more than $20 million.
“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t put a lot of time and thought into things like that,” Clark said.
“And to be honest, I don’t see much of that.”
Asked if attempts to weaponize her name bothered Clark, the Fever star reiterated that she is primarily concerned with basketball issues.
“No, I don’t see that,” she said.
“That’s not where my focus is. Again, my focus is here and on basketball.”
The Fever drafted Clark first overall after his historic college basketball career.
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
