Sports
Thompson: The Caitlin Clark panic should stop. Trust that the rookie will figure it out
No, this was not the fantastical introduction to the professional ranks for Caitlin Clark. Certainly not the bender of basketball bliss a segment of her legion was hoping to be hungover from at some point this weekend.
But rooks don’t get to jump over stuff.
Her first two games might feel like a letdown, especially Thursday’s epic home opener with the Indiana Fever. The moment was big enough for history to pull up to the venue. Sports’ latest transcendent figure created a buzz in Gainbridge Fieldhouse rivaling the New York Knicks-Indiana Pacers series.
Then the New York Liberty shut down the party, and Breanna Stewart destroyed any delusions that a rookie might be the WNBA’s best player.
But Clark will be fine. Just fine. This is just the first of many hard parts. A great game is coming. More bad ones, too. But it’s necessary. You can’t climb a mountain if it’s smooth.
Sabrina Ionescu talks about Caitlin Clark’s adjustment to the WNBA and hosting her on a visit to Oregon when she was deciding where to go to college
“I just know she’s gonna continue to work really hard and stick with it. Good things will happen to good people.” pic.twitter.com/thI8tDfs4C
— New York Liberty Videos (@SNYLiberty) May 17, 2024
The only question is whether the fans she’s brought to women’s basketball will allow her this. Clark has talked about giving herself grace. If it wasn’t a coded message to her masses, it should be received as such. She probably won’t be deterred by unrealistic expectations propped on her shoulders. But it can make the climb harder. That’s what she wants, though.
All hoopers, real hoopers, share this trait. Those groomed on inner-city blacktops, in sparkling suburban gymnasiums, at specialized academies in Australia, on dirt courts beneath rural skies. Among their commonalities is this universal truth: They embrace what’s hard. They’re motivated by the degree of difficulty. As long as success is possible in the confines of their delusional confidence, hoopers are game for the smoke. Real hoopers. They want a hill to conquer. It’s how they confirm their conviction of greatness.
That’s why Clark will be fine. We already know she is a real hooper. She’s long revealed that essence.
She could be somewhere chilling right now. Cashing in her celebrity, growing her brand before a farewell tour of a season at Iowa. Courtesy of the NCAA’s extra year of eligibility allowance for the pandemic, she could’ve gone back to her comfort zone in college. Yet, she opted for this. To be hounded by a more athletic DiJonai Carrington. To be smothered by a bigger Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. To face traps and double teams and hard fouls. To get her bearings under the weight of her enormous fan base and mercurial fame.
To take her lumps. To risk disappointment.
It might take some time to find her stride, especially because she wants to win more than she wants to dazzle. But she’s not set up to be the same Clark who seized the nation.
First off, the Fever’s schedule is brutal to start. Their next two games are rematches against New York on Saturday and Connecticut on Monday, two teams which Indiana lost to by a combined 57 points. That’s followed by a three-game roadie at Seattle, Los Angeles and defending champion Las Vegas. That’s a far cry from Fairleigh Dickinson, Northern Iowa and Purdue-Fort Wayne to warm up against early in the season.
Plus, Clark is already garnering the peak focus of much better defenders.
Her debut was a dance with Carrington, a 5-foot-11 hound who is in the league to harass ballhandlers (and who is good enough at it she doesn’t mess up her perfect makeup in the process). Clark’s home debut was a date with Laney-Hamilton, a vet in every sense. She played for eight teams in six years, including four overseas, before breaking out with the Liberty in 2021. She’s got at least 15 pounds on Clark and a decade of hard-nose hoops under her belt dating back to her Rutgers days. Another real hooper who was determined to be felt by Clark.
Both were picking her up full court or face-guarding Clark in the half court.
Dijonai Carrington is putting the clamps on Caitlin Clark 🔒 pic.twitter.com/pGQ7MlXIqb
— ESPN (@espn) May 15, 2024
Clark is still learning the offense, which is not centered on her. The Fever play inside out, posting up Aliyah Boston or whoever has the size advantage, looking to draw in the defense for the kick out. It’s not the offense I’d run with Clark as my point guard. But this is part of it, too.
Clark’s record 40.1 percent usage rate in college — meaning she used that percentage of Iowa’s plays — won’t be happening this season. Seattle’s Jewell Loyd led the league last season with a usage rate of 31.5. Clark’s usage rate through two games: 28.7.
Not only are defenses locked in on her, and the Fever’s offense prioritizing post-ups, and the ball not in her hands nearly as much as it was in college, but Clark also has teammates who can do some things, too. And they’ve got room to work as Clark draws attention. So the likes of Erica Wheeler, NaLyssa Smith and Kelsey Mitchell are professional scorers looking to take advantage of space. So the ball doesn’t work its way back to Clark often.
The other expected outcome was Clark’s getting attacked on defense. Stewart’s forcing the switch to get Clark onto her back was a window into the life of a rookie. She’s gotta get better at moving her feet instead of reaching, learn the tendencies of her opponents through film studies to gain some advantages, and — perhaps most importantly — get her strength and conditioning to new levels so having to defend doesn’t take away her legs and energy on offense.
If her legend is to continue in the WNBA, it could take months or even seasons to become a dominant player at this level. However long it takes is how long she needs, and how long she should get. As sensational as she is, it’s unfair to regard Clark as some carnival act going city to city splashing trick shots. That’s beneath her. For sure, those deep bombs release bursts of ecstasy into the air when they splash. It’s easy to want repeated hits of such a sensation.
But this is a real hooper on a journey to basketball excellence. This is a career, one that might carve her name among the all-time greats if it goes well. That’s worth having a proverbial seat and enjoying the whole process. Because if she gets there, it will be because of the struggles along the way.
With her basketball IQ, Clark likely knew this was coming. It’s a true gantlet. Like it should be. A certain portion of her legion, inebriated by Clark’s captivating style of play, expected the pros to be a continuation of her Hawkeye brilliance, as if the WNBA was some kind of lateral move. As if her meager salary was representative of the league’s ballers and not its business.
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But anyone who watches the WNBA could’ve anticipated early struggles for Clark. WNBA OGs tried to warn, even if some mixed a little hateration in their holleation. But they knew.
It’s a safe bet she’s never come off a screen into a trap with someone as tough as Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas, or been hunted on defense by a scorer the likes of Stewart. Even if Clark is about this life, it requires adjusting.
Sabrina Ionescu, one of the league’s biggest stars, went 4-of-17 in her 2020 debut. She wasn’t on Clark’s level, but she was a massive star at Oregon. Her first game, with the Liberty, was a major deal. She got smoked by Seattle, missing all eight of her 3s with 4 turnovers in a loss.
Ionescu put up 33 points the next game. But in her third game, a Grade 3 ankle sprain ended her season. She still managed to become an All-Star and is one of the game’s best guards. Real hoopers bounce back, though. Ionescu did. Clark will.
She will shoot it at better than a 30.4 percent clip. She’s missing a lot of open shots and defending many others. She just needs to find her rhythm. And her stellar passing ability means she can have an impact on the game in multiple ways. She’s got good size at 6 feet, high IQ and a love of the craft that will keep her working. She will figure it out. Can you wait long enough until she does? Can you appreciate this part as much as the turn-up to come?
It just takes time. It takes the hard lessons of bad games and tough losses. It takes film study. It takes losing accompanied by a hatred for losing. It takes this part.
And the grace to let her go through it.
(Photo: Dylan Buell / Getty Images)
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Tiger Woods was released from jail Friday night after he was arrested earlier in the day on a DUI charge following a car crash in Florida.
In a mugshot released hours after his arrest, Woods’ eyes appeared bloodshot, as he donned a blue polo inside the Martin County Jail in Florida.
Woods was seen leaving the jail in the passenger seat of a black SUV after his release on bail late Friday, according to The Associated Press.
Martin County Sheriff John Budensiek confirmed in a news conference that Woods was traveling at “a high rate of speed” when his vehicle collided with another car, resulting in his vehicle rolling over onto the driver’s side.
Tiger Woods was booked into Martin County, Florida, jail on March 27, 2026. (AP)
Authorities said Woods “exemplified signs of impairment.” He blew “triple-zeroes” for alcohol but refused a urine test.
“DUI investigators came to the scene here, and Mr. Woods did exemplify signs of impairment. They did several tests on him. Of course, he did explain the injuries and the surgeries that he had. We did take that into account, but they did do some in-depth roadside tests,” Budensiek added.
“We really weren’t suspicious of alcohol being involved in this case, and that proved to be true at the jail. … But when it came time for us to ask for a urinalysis test, he refused. And, so, he’s been charged with DUI, with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test.”
Woods was spotted on the phone after the crash, wearing navy blue shorts.
Woods was charged with DUI, property damage and refusal to submit to a test, all misdemeanor charges. No one was injured, authorities said. Woods was alone in the car and crawled out of the passenger door after the crash.
Tiger Woods was driven from the Martin County Jail after being arrested for driving under the influence following a car crash on March 27, 2026, in Stuart, Florida. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
VANESSA, KAI TRUMP TAKE IN TIGER WOODS’ RETURN TO GOLF AT TGL FINALS
“This could’ve been a lot worse,” Budensiek noted.
President Donald Trump commented on the arrest of his “very close friend.”
“I feel so badly. He’s got some difficulty,” Trump said. “There was an accident, and that’s all I know. Very close friend of mine. He’s an amazing person, an amazing man, but some difficulty.”
Woods has not commented on the arrest.
Tiger Woods was arrested on a DUI charge after getting into a car crash on Friday. (Associated Press)
Woods currently is dating Trump’s ex-daughter-in-law, Vanessa, whose daughter, Kai, is set to play college golf in Miami next week.
This is Woods’ second DUI arrest within the last decade. In 2017, he was taken into custody, also in Jupiter Island, after taking prescription drugs and being asleep behind the wheel of a running car at 3 a.m.
In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for the entire year.
Golfer Tiger Woods stands by his overturned vehicle in Jupiter Island, Fla., Friday, March 27, 2026. (Jason Oteri/AP)
Woods made his return to competitive golf earlier this week in the TGL championship after rupturing his Achilles just before last year’s Masters (this year’s tournament is in less than two weeks). Woods has not appeared on the links since the 2024 PGA Championship, in which he missed the cut.
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For the second time in less than a week, Luka Doncic faces a one-game suspension because of technical foul accumulation.
Only a week after Doncic’s 16th technical foul was rescinded by the NBA, the Lakers superstar picked up another one in a 116-99 win over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday and is in line to miss the Lakers’ next game against the Washington Wizards on Monday.
In the third quarter with the Lakers trailing by one against the lowly Nets (17-57), Doncic was called for an offensive foul against Nic Claxton as the Lakers (48-26) were trying to inbound the ball after a dunk by Ziaire Williams. After the Lakers turnover, Williams and Doncic appeared to exchange words with Doncic pushing Williams aside with one hand. Williams then flailed his arms behind him and slapped Doncic in the throat.
“He was yelling in my face three times,” said Doncic, who finished with 41 points, eight rebounds and three assists in the win. “I just wanted to get out of there. … I didn’t even talk. I just wanted to get out of there. And they said I pushed. My push was exaggerated, which was obviously not [the case].”
Both were assessed technical fouls with 5:12 remaining in the third quarter, and Williams’ hit was reviewed for a possible flagrant, although it was not upgraded.
The NBA requires players to sit out for one game without pay after their 16th technical foul of the season. But Doncic avoided that fate after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game last week. Lakers coach JJ Redick said the Lakers will try to appeal Doncic’s latest foul but he did not see what happened on the play.
Last week, Doncic avoided a suspension after the NBA rescinded the foul that would have forced him to the bench for a critical road game against the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons. Doncic is slated to miss Monday’s game against the Wizards, who have lost 17 of their last 18 games and have the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference (17-56).
Lakers star Luka Doncic reacts to a referee’s call during the second half Friday against the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Doncic picked up his first 16th technical foul last week against the Orlando Magic after getting into an argument with Orlando forward Goga Bitadze. Doncic claimed Bitadze directed a vulgar comment about Doncic’s family in Serbian toward the Lakers star guard. Bitadze refuted the story, saying it was actually Doncic who said the curse word out loud first and that he was only repeating what he heard.
The NBA rescinded both fouls upon review the following day.
Doncic, the NBA’s leading scorer, has scored 30 points or more in 12 consecutive games, the longest such streak in his career. He has 43 30-point games this season, tying Elgin Baylor and Jerry West for sixth-most in a season by a Lakers player. He has scored 40 points or more in the last 12 games.
Against the Nets, Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists and LeBron James had 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Before the game, Redick said the Nets game would be like playing on the road since the Lakers had spent almost two weeks away from Crypto.com Arena and had returned home in the wee hours of Thursday morning from Indianapolis.
Lakers guard Austin Reaves celebrates after shooting a three-pointer against the Nets in the second half Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
The challenge was to find the energy to play, which wasn’t a problem for Doncic, who had 24 points in the first half. Doncic was nine for 15 from the field in the first half and four for six from three-point range in 20 minutes. He finished shooting 15 for 25 from the field as the Lakers shot 54% from the floor. They shot 44% (11 for 25) from three-point range.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team with the second-worst record in the NBA didn’t matter.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team had lost nine of its last 10 games didn’t matter.
That the Lakers were facing a Nets team that’s last in the league in scoring (106.3 points per game) didn’t matter.
Lakers center Deandre Ayton, left, blocks a shot by Brooklyn Nets guard Nolan Traore in the first half Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
What mattered to the Lakers was finding a way to win as the regular season winds down.
“I felt like we were a step slow,” Redick said. “And I told the guys at halftime, ‘This is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back, there’s a day in between, that’s just you’re in another city until you can get adjusted to the time zone and you get a couple days break.’ So the next two [off] days will be good for us.”
Notes: Lakers broadcast analyst Stu Lantz missed Friday night’s game against the Nets because of health issues. Derek Fisher, who won five NBA titles with the Lakers, took over Lantz’s role for the game. Public address announcer Lawrence Tanter also missed the game because of a health matter. Jason Barquero filled in for Lantz. “The entire Lakers organization is wishing Lawrence all the best in his recovery, and we look forward to welcoming him back soon,” the team said in a statement.
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Tiger Woods was involved in a car crash on Jupiter Island in Florida on Friday, according to multiple reports.
The Martin County Sheriff’s Office told ESPN that the crash happened on Jupiter Island. Woods’ condition was not immediately known.
Woods competed in the TGL championship earlier this week with his girlfriend, Vanessa Trump, and her daughter, Kai, in the stands. It was his return to competitive golf after rupturing his Achilles last year, just ahead of the Masters.
Tiger Woods of Jupiter Links Golf Club looks on before the match against the Los Angeles Golf Club at SoFi Center on March 23, 2026, in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. (Adam Glanzman/TGL/TGL Golf via Getty Images)
The 15-time major winner, five of which have come at Augusta, was noncommittal about playing at this year’s Masters. President Donald Trump said on “The Five” on Thursday that he would be at Augusta but not play.
Woods has had trouble behind the wheel in the past. In 2021, he got into a wreck that resulted in serious leg injuries that kept him off the golf course for months.
This is a breaking story. Check back for more updates.
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