Caitlin Clark has a ‘heavy burden to carry,’ claims Candace Parker as she spares words of wisdom for the Indiana Fever rookie

If there’s one star who’s seen it all, it’s Candace Parker. A first-round pick in 2008, Parker was the MVP in her rookie season and went on to become a 3x WNBA champion. Many outlets have gone so far as to say that Parker was Caitlin Clark long before Clark even made her WNBA debut, due to her accomplishments and the amount of attention she brought to the league. So the Missouri native was asked to share her words of wisdom for Clark, and Parker gave her some detailed insight.

Parker was on hand for an exclusive chat with Enlandscape when she shared her thoughts on Clark and how the latter has adapted to the high-pressure environment of the WNBA. Parker spoke highly of Clark, but reminded everyone that it was a big responsibility that the Indiana star carried.

“It’s hard to have the bull’s-eye on your back, not only from the standpoint of everyone watching you, but also as a teammate trying; it’s a team sport, so you’re the one constantly reminding people, like, ‘Hey Aliyah (Boston), put that screen up.’ It’s hard and people have different feelings about it. So, it’s a heavy burden, a heavy burden to carry, but she’s doing great,” Parker said, via Enlandscape.

Clark has received a lot of attention from the NCAA since her transition to the WNBA. Both her fans and critics have put her in the spotlight. Clark has adjusted well since becoming the first WNBA rookie to record a triple-double during her game against the New York Liberty in early July. But the attention has also put Clark in a vulnerable position at times. She has been compared to her peers, with parallels being drawn with WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi, as Clark didn’t make the Olympic team this year. And it can put a lot of pressure on Clark at times.

Meanwhile, Parker was easily adapting to the W level, as in her first game she broke the all-time rookie point record with 34 points, held by Cynthia Cooper. Her skills were so astonishing that she became only the second player in the WNBA after Lisa Leslie to pull off a dunk. She also made the Olympic team, unlike Clark in her rookie season, and took home a gold medal. For her performance, she was also awarded the MVP award that season.

As Parker shared her wisdom with others now, she also shared the advice she had given Clark long before the NCAA Tournament.

Candace Parker shares her past advice to Caitlin Clark

Parker praised the 22-year-old for trying her best. She also revealed that Parker had advised Clark ahead of the 2023-24 NCAA tournament to enjoy the game and live in the moment. “Enjoy it. It goes by so fast. The days are long, but the years are short.” Parker also emphasized that she asked Clark to take each day as it comes and do her best, without forgetting why she was playing this game. “This is a game. This is a basketball game that we all picked up because we loved it. So, you gotta play that.”

Perhaps Parker’s advice was heeded, as Clark reached the NCAA Championship Finals twice in the 2022 and 2023 seasons. Notably, Parker himself had won the NCAA title back-to-back, in 2007 and 2008.

Perhaps Parker’s final piece of advice will reach Clark, who will be eager to follow what Parker has said. And if she diligently follows Parker’s words of wisdom, she will hopefully become Rookie of the Year and help the Indiana Fever qualify for the playoffs.