ESPN: Larry Bird massages Caitlin Clark opening monologue covered
While presenting the 2024 ESPY Awards on Thursday night, tennis legend Serena Williams made a funny joke about Indiana Fever rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.
Best Athlete in Women’s Sports, Best Record-breaking Performance, and Best College Athlete in Women’s Sports were the three ESPYS nominations for the rising star in the WNBA.
As one of the most well-known athletes in a variety of sports today, Williams skillfully demonstrated why with her perceptive analogy.
Serena Williams compared Caitlin Clark to Larry Bird, pointing out that, like Clark’s current rise, Bird’s 1978 NBA draft selection from Indiana State University had a profound effect on the league.
Despite some difficulties with the Fever, Caitlin Clark had a fantastic first season as a professional athlete, finishing with a 9–12 record. Her average of 16.7 points and 7.6 assists per game tops all rookies.
After four seasons with the Iowa women’s basketball team, the former Iowa Hawkeye broke the all-time scoring record for men’s and women’s basketball players with 3,951 points.
Against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday afternoon, the Indiana freshman put on a historic performance that has never been matched by any professional basketball player in the NBA or WNBA.
With 29 points, 13 assists, five rebounds, five 3-pointers made, five blocks, and three steals, Clark had an incredible game. According to the WNBA, she became the only player in history to accomplish all these marks in a single game in the NBA or WNBA.
Being the first player in the WNBA to “have 25+ points, 10+ assists, 5+ rebounds, 5+ steals, and 5+ three-pointers in a game,” the Indiana Fever continued.
In the 27-year history of the WNBA, Clark created history by being the first rookie to ever post a triple-double. In addition, she became the first player in the 24-year history of her organization to reach a franchise milestone. This accomplishment came after multiple near misses in earlier games.
The Fever defeated the New York Liberty, the best team in the league, with to Clark’s league-high triple-double. With her 19 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds, she helped her team secure their biggest victory of the year.
