NBA star Victor Wembanyama offers bold Caitlin Clark verdict

Victor Wembanyama has revealed that Caitlin Clark is the only college basketball player who has ever left him ‘in awe’ of their game.

The French phenom was selected first overall in the 2023 NBA draft, a year before the Indiana Fever took Clark with the No 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.

It came after Clark enjoyed a historic career with the Iowa Hawkeyes which saw her become one of the biggest stars in sports.

Speaking ahead of the new NBA season, 7ft 4in star Wembanyama heaped praise on Clark, who was recently named Rookie of the Year.

When asked to name a WNBA player who inspires him, the San Antonio Spurs center said: ‘Caitlin Clark’

‘When she was in college, she was the only college player that I was really in awe of the game,’ Wembanyama explained.

Caitlin Clark

Victor Wembanyama

NBA star Victor Wembanyama has heaped praise on WNBA counterpart Caitlin Clark

I’m saying, men and women’s college basketball, she’s probably the most impressive I’ve ever seen.’

During her four-year career at Iowa, Clark set a new NCAA scoring record and won back-to-back national player of the year awards.

On Friday, she finally got her hands on the WNBA Rookie of the Year trophy after fending off competition from Angel Reese to win the award.

The Indiana Fever sensation received a staggering 66 votes out of 67 to claim the prize after a historic rookie season – with one unnamed reporter sparking controversy by selecting Chicago Sky forward Reese instead.

A beaming Caitlin Clark has finally got her hands on the WNBA Rookie of the Year trophy

A beaming Caitlin Clark has finally got her hands on the WNBA Rookie of the Year trophy

That is despite the former LSU star failing to make it through to the postseason with Chicago, while Clark guided Indiana to its first playoff berth since 2016.

The worst kept secret in the WNBA was finally confirmed on Thursday after Clark, who is currently at the center of another fierce race row, was named Rookie of the Year on the back of her record-breaking debut campaign.

One day later she posed with the award in a photo shared by the Fever, who were swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Connecticut Sun last week.

Although it wasn’t announced until Thursday, Clark learned she’d be winning Rookie of the Year at a Fever practice before the team’s playoff opener in Connecticut last week.