What advice did Serena Williams give Caitlin Clark about dealing with critics?
One of the greatest athletes of all time has given her advice to one of the brightest stars of the future and as you can probably guess, it’s absolutely sound.
Few in the world of sport have had the career that Serena Williams has, and starting from so young as well. The winner of 23 Grand Slams, Williams is widely regarded as the greatest player of her generation. Indeed that’s precisely why she’s the best fit for the Fever’s rookie sensation when it comes to dealing with immense pressure at a young age.
Serena Williams offers Caitlin Clark some timely advice
As you probably know by now, Caitlin Clark is a big deal. At the young age of 22 years old, Clark is the college game’s all-time leading scorer after an incredible final season with Iowa and as such entered the WNBA as the No. 1 overall pick this past offseason. Her entrance into the professional ranks has seen a record-breaking spike in ratings for the league while creating many talking points across the league. That’s where division has come about, with many weighing in on Clark’s maiden campaign and the response to it from fans, analysts, and of course fellow players.
This of course is where we come to Serena Williams. Having stepped into the professional game as a teenager in 1995, Williams learned very quickly how much the outside world could try to get in as her early days in tennis created a whirlwind of opinion. To that end, the 42-year-old former world No. 1 sympathized with Clark’s position and even offered some words of advice to Indiana’s star.
“I just love that she tries to stay grounded,” Williams said. “She says she doesn’t look at her social [media]. I get it. I don’t either. I think it’s so important to just continue to do what she’s doing. No matter what other people do, if people are negative it’s because they can’t do what you do, basically. Hopefully she’ll continue to do as she’s doing.” Given where Williams has been and what she’s achieved, it would be silly to knock those words of wisdom. With that said, Clark appears to be holding her own so far as she has averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds, six assists, and 1.5 steals per game across 14 games so far. Up next for Clark and Co.? That would be a date with the Chicago Sky on Sunday afternoon, i.e. a rematch with her college rival Angel Reese. Don’t miss it!