Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams has his work cut out for him with a young Charlotte Hornets squad that finished with the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (21-61) last season and is getting ready to open camp.
With everything at stake, Williams still took the time to weigh in on the various Caitlin Clark debates.
There’s been numerous opinions debates about the Indiana Fever and whether she’s the greatest rookie in WNBA history. While Clark, the WNBA Rookie of the Year, finished a distant fourth in the MVP voting, which is incredible for a rookie.
Williams, however, believes that the legendary Candace Parker is the greatest rookie ever. Responding to an X post by DraftKings, which refers to Clark as being the “best rookie we’ve ever seen,” Williams showed his knowledge of WNBA history by correcting the post and adding his two cents.
“2nd best*. Love her game and she’ll be an MVP when A’ja decides to hang it up but Tennessee legend Candace Parker won ROTY and MVP in the same season,” Williams wrote.
Grant Williams Says Caitlin Clark Is Second Best Rookie We Have Seen: Candace Parker Won MVP & ROY
This isn’t the first time someone has brought up Parker’s sensational rookie season to temper the enthusiasm some new fans and opportunists have for Clark’s unprecedented impact. The Clark Effect has left plenty of fans blind to the previous 27 years of WNBA hoops.
For those who forgot, Parker burst on the scene in 2008 with the LA Sparks and won the Rookie of the Year and the MVP, as her versatility and multi-faceted game on both ends of the floor was considered the prototype for the next generation of WNBA players.
During that season, Parker averaged 18.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game. She also finished an impressive fourth in the WNBA in the Defensive Player of the Year voting
Clark elevated a down-trodden Indian Fever franchise, averaging 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from three-point range.
The Fever earned the No. 6 seed, making the playoffs for the first time since the 2016 season. Indiana finished with a 20-20 record in the 2024 season, the first time it was at least .500 in the past eight seasons.
Hill gives Clark credit for the incredible season, but he still thinks Candace Parker’s 2008 campaign is the most dominant. It would be hard to disagree with him, although many Clark fans would try to dispute it.
Despite Clark’s amazing achievements as a rookie, it’s hard to say that she was better than Parker.
After being taken with the No. 1 overall pick in 2008, Parker went on to win the Rookie of the Year and the WNBA MVP in her first season.
Why Did Candace Parker Win MVP?
The LA Sparks went 20-14 in Parker’s first season in 2008 and advanced to the Western Conference finals after finishing 10-24 the previous season. Her impact was colossal, and it was tangible.
While Angel Reese’s double-double streaks and rebounding records kept her in the race for most of the season, Clark had the biggest impact on her team and on winning. In addition to the gaudy statistics, Clark was the leader of the Indiana Fever team since day 1. Most rookies aren’t entrusted with that responsibility.
With all of the fanfare, venom, interest, financial gain, popularity and pressure placed on Clark’s shoulders, along with plenty of smoke coming from established stars in the league prior to her ever getting drafted No. 1 overall, she’s done an incredible job of navigating her first WNBA season, while also changing the losing culture of a team that hadn’t had a winning record or made the playoffs since 2016, when they had Hall of Famer Tamika Catchings.
Clark exhibited many of the leadership traits that Parker did during her illustrious rookie campaign. Both players entered the league with plenty of hype and were able to meet the challenge and expectations.
Clark Had Her Share Of Doubters
Fever general manager Lin Dunn wasn’t one of the players, analysts and fans who doubted how effective CC would be in her rookie season.
There were plenty of warnings put out by players, from Breanna Stewart to Diana Taurasi about how challenging the transition to the WNBA’s physical style would be.
Dunn recently shared her general thoughts with reporters on what her expectations and anticipation were when she drafted Clark versus where she’s at now.
“There was a lot about Caitlin Clark that I felt like I expected. Some people didn’t expect her to be as good as she was early. I did. I thought she would be. She handled all the pressure and all the tough defenses.” Dunn said.
NBA Players Talking WNBA
Even as the NBA season gears up for another run to the title, the WNBA and Caitlin Clark are part of the conversation.
In February 2024, the Hornets acquired guard Seth Curry, forward Williams and a 2027 first-round pick (top-two protected) from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for forward P.J. Washington Jr., a 2024 second-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick. The journeyman is hoping to help the Hornets revive the franchise that Michael Jordan sold in 2023.
With Clark’s playoff elimination at the hands of the Connecticut Sun she will be taking a much-needed break from basketball for a few months.
Not sure if Clark could hide from the media if she tried, but if NBA players are going to keep bringing her name up then she will continue to stay in the news cycle.
