Caitlin Clark is tired, and for good reason. Breaking down WNBA's tough opening schedule.

Caitlin Clark is tired. 

And really, who can blame her? 

The No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft has had an up-and-down start to her professional career, in no small part because of a brutally tough opening schedule. Clark and the Indiana Fever played 11 games in the first 20 days of the season, a calendar so packed they could barely hold a full practice. And no, they don’t have nap pods in their locker room. 

But for Clark, who will play her 14th game Thursday when the Fever host the Liberty, the exhaustion goes beyond just the past 31 days. 

The WNBA is unique in that rookies have basically no break between their final college game and first pro season. The draft is typically held about a week after the national championship, and training camp begins two weeks later. In between, rookies have to move to a new city, do numerous media appearances and finish college courses. This leaves little time to kick their feet up and catch a cat nap. 

Still going: Clark vs. other No. 1 picks and their playing time

Clark called the turnaround “obviously not ideal.” Navigating rest and recovery has been one of her biggest adjustments over the last month, she said.

“It’s tough,” said Indiana coach Christie Sides. “She just got off a college season, went all the way to the Final Four, so she was really, really tired and going into playing the best players in the world. So it’s about recovery and what she needs to do to be ready for the next game.” 

A complicating factor with Clark is how many off-court commitments she has, between media and endorsement appearances. Such is life as one of the most famous athletes in the country. Sides said Fever management and coaches are trying to figure out how to help Clark juggle everything while making sure “we’re taking care of Caitlin.” 

How Clark's stats compare to previous No. 1 picks

What's more, the Clark mania sweeping the nation didn't start last month: The 22-year-old has been in the spotlight the past four years, a whirlwind tour that included NIL obligations, various USA Basketball camps and tournaments and tons of media spots. She hasn't exactly been gifted with free time since she appeared on the national radar in 2020, her freshman year at Iowa.

Clark might be known for her logo 3s, but the Des Moines native is much more than someone who can launch from beyond the arc. Part of her allure in college was that she did what many deemed impossible, leading Iowa — a solid program but not a traditional hoops powerhouse — to back-to-back national championship appearances. 

MORE:Caitlin Clark snubbed by USA Basketball. Fever star left off Olympic team for Paris

MORE:Caitlin Clark heats up with best shooting performance of WNBA career: 'The basket looks bigger'

What’s more, during her four years in Iowa City, the leading scorer in the history of college basketball didn’t miss a game. She knew, especially her senior year, that people paid big bucks to see her. She played through bumps, bruises and minor illnesses, determined to put on a show for every paying customer. Additionally, because of Iowa’s foreign tour last summer, Clark has been playing and practicing since early August. That’s a lot of miles logged on the hardwood. 

WNBA rookies like Caitlin Clark learn 'how to sleep standing up'

Clark is the victim of a compressed schedule this season due to the month-long Olympic break, which starts July 21. She’s also taking a beating every time she steps on the floor, the result of being picked up full-court by defenders. It is undoubtedly a sign of respect that opposing teams feel the need to face-guard her 40 minutes a night. But it takes a toll physically — especially for someone playing 32.6 minutes per game, the most of all 2024 rookies (Dallas' Sevgi Uzun is next with 31.8) through Tuesday. It’s also the most minutes any No. 1 pick has played since 2016, when Breanna Stewart averaged 34.7 minutes through her first 10 games. 

It's particularly tiring for someone with Clark's thin build. At 152 pounds, the 6-foot guard is rail thin and not nearly as strong as she needs to be yet to excel in the pros. She's said she'd like to emulate Stephen Curry's wiry-but-strong frame. She knows she needs to bulk up. But where's the time for that?

Another important caveat: Many other top picks, including players like Stewart, Jackie Young (2019) and Sabrina Ionescu (2020) came from college basketball factories, where they had All-America teammates who also drew plenty of defensive attention. At Iowa, Clark was mostly a one-woman show. 

“We’re trying to figure out where we can give her a blow here or there,” Sides said before the Fever’s ninth game. “She’s being guarded full-court, being double-teamed, fighting on both ends. We’re really trying to get her a little rest when we can.” 

With the special attention Clark gets, coupled with every rookie’s transition to a league full of bigger, stronger, faster women, it's no wonder she’s shooting just 37.3% from the field and 33% from 3; that's a significant drop-off from her 46.2% career field goal percentage at Iowa. Fresh legs make a big difference, especially when you’re shooting from 30-plus feet.

In college, players’ instincts when they’re not playing well is to get into the gym. But that’s typically not the move in the pros, because you need to be off your feet and resting as much as possible. That’s been a major adjustment for Clark. 

“In college you usually had an off day, then two days of prep,” Clark said. “You don’t get that here. You get home at 4 a.m., have practice at 2 p.m., you’re watching film and you only have so many hours (in a day). At the same time, it’s the same scenario for every other team, it’s not like we’re getting the short hand … but you’ve gotta take care of your body. There’s only so much you can do on the court as a team and as an individual. You’re almost playing the game in your mind because you’re just not going to be able to practice.”

Fever general manager Lin Dunn joked to USA TODAY Sports that pros learn very quickly “how to sleep standing up — and on planes.”

'Unprecedented' opening schedule for Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever leads to exhaustion

Dunn said after the Fever’s intense start, a schedule she described as “unprecedented,” everyone came home “mentally, physically and emotionally exhausted — how can you not be?”

Clark vs. other No. 1 picks in their final NCAA season and first WNBA games

"This is a situation where less is better,” Dunn said. “If we’re playing five games in seven days, you can’t go into the gym — you need to be soaking in an ice bath and watching film. You have so much less time (as a pro) because you’re traveling, playing, eating, sleeping and that’s it. So you’re not going to go in and watch an hour of film — it’s, what can we get done in 10 minutes? We don’t want to mentally fatigue them either.” 

The key now, according to Dunn, is to be as efficient as possible with on-court time, which can mean shortening or even canceling practice. Rookies like Clark are getting a crash course not only in WNBA physicality but time management. 

After Indiana’s opening gauntlet of 11 games in 20 days, the Fever enjoyed some time together off the floor, eschewing practice for activities like a team dinner and a boat outing. Building chemistry is crucial for a young roster, but sometimes it’s about “anything to get away from the gym,” Dunn said. Additionally, the Fever are exploring cryotherapy and other tactics that could expedite players’ recovery. 

Physical exhaustion aside, Clark hasn’t tired of the game she loves. 

“It hasn’t been hard for me to wake up and want to play basketball,” Clark said last week before dropping 30 points on the Mystics in Indiana’s 85-83 win — which came after four days of rest. “I think the back-to-backs have been the biggest adjustment.”

Clark’s summer would have been even more grueling if she'd made the Olympic roster. After finding out she’d been left off, Clark told Sides, “Hey Coach, they woke a monster.”

Now, with a built-in, three-week break, she’ll be a well-rested one. 

Contributing: Chris Bumbaca

Email Lindsay Schnell at lschnell@usatoday.com and follow her on social media @Lindsay_Schnell