The Indiana Fever tipped off their season with a hard-fought 107-104 loss to the Dallas Wings on Saturday, but all eyes were on superstar Caitlin Clark—and not all for the right reasons. Clark managed 20 points, but her shooting from beyond the arc was ice-cold, hitting just 2-of-9 from three-point range. Defensively, she also had a tough outing, which has critics sharpening their knives on social media.

Some detractors are taking aim at the hype surrounding Clark since she entered the WNBA in 2024, with one even dubbing her a "Hypothetical Woman." The jab suggests her career so far is built on "what-ifs"—like, "If she could hit threes..."—rather than consistent results. It's a harsh label for a player who's still finding her footing after a rookie season cut short by injuries.

The numbers don't lie: Clark's three-point shooting has been a struggle for a while now. Over her last eight games dating back to last season, she's gone 9-for-58 (a chilly 15.5%) from deep. But it's early days, and Clark is being upfront about the jitters that come with returning to the court after missing the entire second half of the 2024 season due to soft tissue injuries.

"I feel good," Clark told reporters after the game. "Started off a little slow, I think just the anxiety of the first game, trying to work through that. But overall, I felt good, felt fast out there. Felt like I was literally a couple buckets away from putting together a really, really good game and helping us win."

For a player who lit up college basketball and was the No. 1 overall pick, this slow start is a blip, not a trend. History shows Clark has the talent to bounce back, and her detractors might want to enjoy these struggles while they last. The season is young, and if there's one thing we know about great athletes, it's that they don't stay down for long.