As the 2025 WNBA Draft approaches, a new wave of women’s college basketball stars are preparing to take their game to the next level.
But for Caitlin Clark, the transition from college superstar at Iowa to professional standout with the Indiana Fever is still fresh in her mind – and she isn’t sugarcoating how difficult that adjustment can be.
Clark, who was selected No. 1 overall in last year’s WNBA Draft just days after playing in the NCAA championship game, has become one of the league’s brightest young stars. But even for a generational talent like Clark, the leap from college to the WNBA was anything but easy.
Clark’s honest reflection on her WNBA adjustment
Speaking with Elle, Clark described the hectic reality of life after hearing her name called on draft night.
“So you basically go home for one day and pack up your whole life and then move to a new city, the city that you get drafted to,” she explained. “So I think it’s just the adjustment period that you have.”
Unlike other professional leagues that offer months between the draft and the regular season, WNBA rookies have barely over a month to get settled.
With the 2025 WNBA season set to tip off on May 16, this year’s draft class – coming off the NCAA championship won by UConn over South Carolina – will soon experience the same whirlwind transition Clark went through.
Beyond the logistics of relocating, Clark emphasized the mental and emotional adjustment of leaving college life behind almost overnight.
“I think the biggest difference is just how fast you have to move on and change from being a college student, a college athlete, and then you’re like a professional athlete and there’s a lot that comes with that too,” Clark said.
Despite those early challenges, Clark adapted quickly. In her rookie season, she led the WNBA in assists, earned an All-Star selection, guided the Indiana Fever to a playoff berth, and was named the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Now, with her second season on the horizon, Clark has the rare advantage of a full offseason to prepare – something most WNBA rookies don’t get their first time around.
And as a new class of college stars prepares to follow in her footsteps, Clark‘s experience serves as a reminder: talent will always shine, but the transition to the pros is a fast-moving reality check.
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