Caitlin Clark of Indiana Fever

In her debut WNBA season, Caitlin Clark has quickly become accustomed to making history and receiving praise from basketball legends. Now, former NBA champion and analyst Kendrick Perkins has compared her to LeBron James.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has had an incredible rookie season, breaking several records, including the most points by a rookie in a single season and the most assists in a single WNBA season. So, it’s not surprising that she is also receiving praise from basketball legends. The latest to compliment her is NBA champion Kendrick Perkins.

Perkins, who is also an ESPN analyst, made a bold comparison between Clark and his former teammate, NBA star LeBron James. Perkins said that Clark, who also had a successful college career, “has lived up to the expectations.”

“I’m looking at her the way I look at LeBron James for the women’s side of things. The hype that she had, the expectation she had to live up to, packing out arenas on a day-to-day basis, a lot of people out there waiting to see her fail and still keeping her composure as a rookie and leading this team has been a beautiful thing to see,” Perkins told NBA Today.

His praise is no small matter as Perkins was a teammate of LeBron James during their two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, giving him firsthand experience of James’ talent and impact on the game.

caitlin clark wavesCaitlin Clark has earned recognition from basketball legends (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

James himself has been a vocal supporter of Clark and the Indiana Fever, posting on his social media about the team. His latest interaction was an Instagram story in which shoutout Clark and Kelsey Mitchell, as they both score over 30 points against the Dallas Wings.

Clark is ‘excited’ for the WNBA Playoffs
Apart from Clark’s own impressive rookie season, the Indiana Fever are also making history. The team has qualified for the WNBA playoffs for the first time since 2016, and Clark has shared an optimistic message.

“Everybody is definitely excited for the playoffs,” Clark said, according to ESPN. “We’re not just happy to be there. We really feel like we can compete with every single team.” And it’s true, the only team Indiana hasn’t defeated this season is the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces.