Indiana Fever Superstar Caitlin Clark Has Been "Following the Phillies"
The Philadelphia Phillies are no stranger to superstar players, especially of late.After signing Bryce Harper ahead of the 2019 season, the Phillies followed that with signing Trea Turner ahead of 2023, and have been heavily linked to Juan Soto for the upcoming offseason.With the star power Philadelphia employs and the success that they have had this season, a burgeoning superstar from another league has taken notice.A recent TikTok video of Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark doing play-by-play commentary of Wednesday's game between the Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers went viral, leading to reporters asking Clark about the video."I've kind of been following the Phillies," Clark said, "so I kind of know some of their players."When a superstar from another league is taking notice, Philadelphia must be doing something right.Clark, 22, was the first overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft for the Fever.The polarizing young star is sure to win her first Rooke of the Year Award, shooting .417 from the field through 40 games and .344 from beyond the arc while averaging 8.4 assists and 19.2 points per game and being named to her first WNBA All-Star Game.If you have followed the WNBA at all this season, the polarization of Clark has been unavoidable, much like another young phenom who debuted for the Washington Nationals in 2012.Harper, now a two-time National League MVP, took MLB by storm upon his debut in 2012, but not everyone was on board with the hype.While Harper's rookie campaign was not as impressive as Clark's, he did still take home the National League Rookie of the Year and was named to his first (of now many) All-Star Game.The detractors of Harper's ability were abundant, with Cole Hamels of the 2012 Phillies notably drilling the young phenom with a fastball in their first plate appearance against each other.Now 12 years later, Clark has faced the same scrutiny, and like Harper, has lived up to the challenge.Clark has shown much better poise and maturity than Harper did when he was a rookie, though he has grown into a leader in Philadelphia's clubhouse, and a vocal advocate for MLB as a whole.Indiana's young star could blossom into a leader in their locker room, with her play on the court backing up her leadership, and eventually making her a fantastic mentor for many rookies to come.Clark and Harper's rookie seasons were eerily similar, and it will be interesting to see just how much her career trajectory matches one of MLB's greats.And, after Clark showed her commentary chops this week, she may have a career in broadcasting when her playing days are over.This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/phillies as Indiana Fever Superstar Caitlin Clark Has Been "Following the Phillies".
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