NBA Commissioner Shares Common Sense Take On Caitlin Clark

Adam Silver sounds optimistic about Caitlin Clark's future, but he doesn't want to add extra pressure.

Clark became the face of the WNBA the moment the Indiana Fever drafted her. Never before in the history of the league has a player had so much hype and attention.

She might not be on the Olympic team - which is a huge mistake - but there's no doubt she's the most famous player in the WNBA.

The former Iowa phenom also seems to face an absurd amount of targeting and jealousy. Despite her elevating the league, some players and media members seem to just hate her.

Adam Silver reacts to Caitlin Clark mania.

Silver isn't worried. He thinks at the end of the day, she'll either prove she has the goods to cut it or she won't, and he's not interested in piling on. 

"I think Caitlin knows, she's ultimately got to prove it on the floor. You can't anoint stars in this league. There's other names that weren't on your list that were going to be the next fill-in-the-blank and they turned out not to be just because of their performance. I believe she's going to deliver, she seems to have the character and the drive and the will and the talent. Let her evolve as a player. I want to take the pressure off her. Not put more pressure on her," Silver said Wednesday night ahead of game three of the NBA Finals.

He also noted he took his daughters to watch Clark play against the New York Liberty, and it was "fantastic to see" the kind of draw she has.

You can watch his full comments in the video below, and hit me with your thoughts at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.

This is a good take from Silver. It's rational, loaded with common sense and a view I'm sure many people share. The amount of outrage and envy Clark faces is crazy.

Nothing put it under a spotlight more than when Chennedy Carter hit her with an unbelievably gross cheap shot.

The cheap shot heard around the world dominated the news for more than a week. It was a crystal clear example of just how much attention Clark brings in and how she's treated by other players in the league.

However, it's up to Clark at the end of the day how successful she's going to be. So far, all signs point to her being an outstanding WNBA player. She's currently averaging 16.3 points per game, 6.0 assists per game and 4.9 rebounds per game in her rookie campaign. Very solid numbers across the board. Onward and upward from here! Let me know your thoughts on Clark at David.Hookstead@outkick.com.