Caitlin Clark goes directly at doubters ahead of 2024 WNBA Draft

Numerous women’s basketball players expressed their opinions on Caitlin Clark ahead of Monday’s 2024 WNBA Draft, but the superstar scorer from Iowa isn’t spending the last few weeks ahead of the start of her pro career listening to the doubters.

“Being confident in all the work I’ve put in, in the moments, and knowing that I’ve earned to be in this moment — that’s always kind of what I remind myself, you know, you’re not here by accident,” Clark told “Today” in a story published Monday.

Clark said she expects a “learning curve” that will make for a “good challenge” in the WNBA and knows her abilities will translate to the faster, more competitive game. Clark’s the overwhelming favorite to go No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever.

This is something I wrote down on a piece of paper when I was in second grade,” Clark said. “Like, get a basketball scholarship, play in the WNBA — this is always something I wanted to do.”

Clark has plenty of fuel for her competitive fire heading into the WNBA Draft as college basketball’s all-time leading scorer. Most of her colleagues, notably 10-time all-star Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury, are reluctant to believe she’ll be a difference-maker as a Day 1 superstar.

Former UConn standout Diana Taurasi, a 10-time all-star for the Phoenix Mercury, was the first in an avalanche of opinions to question Clark in the WNBA.

“Reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing,” Taurasi told ESPN during the NCAA Tournament. “And that’s just life, we all went through it. You see it on the NBA side and you’re gonna see it on this side where you look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re gonna come with some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.

Not saying that’s not gonna translate, because when you’re great at what you do, you’re just gonna get better. But there is gonna be a transition period where you’re gonna have to give yourself some grace as a rookie and it might take a little bit longer for some people.”

Others followed, but Clark’s not going to change her game — a lethal outside shooter, who’s an equally potent passer as she is scoring machine.

“I think sometimes, I feel like I’m closer to the basket than I really am,” Clark told “Today” when asked about her long-distance infatuation offensively. “But also, those are shots I practice and work on every single day. It’s not like I just take the court for a game and just start launching those. It’s what I work on in the gym every single day with our coaches.”