Caitlin Clark spent some time in the weight room during her Olympic break to build muscle and better prepare for the second half of the WNBA schedule.
At the start of the second phase of the season, Clark and the Indiana Fever are in a playoff spot with thirteen games remaining.
Clark decided to not only rest but also build muscle, as she had gained a little weight after some strength and conditioning sessions during the Olympics.
Speaking to reporters after a 98-89 win over the Phoenix Mercury, Clark talked about her process during the break and how she views her strength as part of her game.
“Yeah, I’m small, but I try to hold my own as best as I can. It’s funny actually, we were playing live the other day and I backed away from (guard Erica Wheeler) and (Wheeler) was like, ‘Man, I thought I was going to push you out of the way, but you’re a little stronger than I thought.'”
Caitlin Clark gained muscle mass during the Olympic break of the WNBA season
She fired full steam ahead against the Mercury and scored 29 points for the win.
“I was like, ‘Yeah, don’t mess with me.’ I don’t know, I think I’m discreetly strong. I’ll never be the strongest person. I know that.
“I’m trying to put on some weight and I’ve been working out hard in the weight room. Obviously there are certain limits to what I can do, obviously the season is in full swing, but over the last three weeks or so we’ve all been working out pretty hard in the weight room.”
“I wasn’t very happy with our strength coach,” she added sarcastically. “I was in a lot of pain and some days it was difficult to shoot.”
“But I think having that little extra muscle will definitely help me down the stretch… whether I actually have it or not, we don’t really know.
“But it’s definitely something I’m going to continue to focus on. But more than anything, I never want to lose my speed. I like to be fast and sprint.”
In May, Clark spoke about how physical she found the game at the WNBA level, saying, “I think everyone on my team is physically strong. They get away with things that others probably can’t get away with. It’s tough.”
But on Friday night, Clark didn’t let the toughness of the WNBA slow him down, posting a double-double with 29 points and ten assists on 8-of-16 shooting.
