CNN —As she adjusts to life in the WNBA, rookie phenom Caitlin Clark is also having to navigate becoming a lightning rod for societal discourse. “It’s disappointing,” replied Clark ahead of the Indiana Fever’s home game against the Atlanta Dream. Her rivalry with fellow star Angel Reese, for example, has triggered discourse about race in the US. Clark has had a mixed start to her WNBA career so far, showing flashes of her brilliance but struggling initially with the physicality of the professional game. “Nobody’s apathetic about the WNBA because we’ve brought in so many new fans into what we call the fan funnel this year.”

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