Caitlin Clark Offers Sage Wisdom to Paige Bueckers for Rookie Season in WNBA

Just over a year ago, Caitlin Clark was preparing to embark on her rookie season in the WNBA with the Indiana Fever, less than one month after being selected with the No. 1 pick in the draft.

Clark instantly became one of the faces of the WNBA, and she would go on to have a historic rookie year and lead the Fever back to the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

During an interview with Sports Illustrated as part of her "With the Assist" platform with State Farm, Clark offered some words of wisdom to this year's top pick, Paige Bueckers, who was selected at No. 1 by the Dallas Wings.

"I think just allow yourself some grace and patience. I think Paige will be great, I mean, I've said it before. I think she is a very high IQ basketball player. She understands the game really well. She puts herself in positions to be successful," Clark told SI.

"Just allow yourself some grace and enjoy learning through the really great moments and the moments that aren't as good. Every basketball player has those, no matter how great you are. Whether you're LeBron James or you're playing your first game of basketball when you're seven years old. It's not always gonna be perfect, so, just learn through the struggle and enjoy all the good moments, too."

While Clark and Bueckers have different skillsets and styles of play, as No. 1 picks in their respective drafts, the two guards have frequently been compared to one another. Bueckers has a similarly strong following coming out of UConn, and figures to be in the spotlight during her rookie year, much like Clark was.

The advice Clark had for Bueckers comes from her own experience as a WNBA rookie and the struggles she endured and eventually was able to overcome.

"I'm a competitive person, you know. You want to be the best, you wanna help your team be the best. And at times when it wasn't clicking, it wasn't a frustration of, 'I can't do this,' it was more like, 'Why isn't it working?' Because I know I can. So it's just like taking time, having patience, learning through the struggle of it and, you know, it's certainly paid off," Clark told SI.