Just Faced Caitlin Clark — Now She’s OUT of the WNBA!

For years, the WNBA has been searching for a spark—someone to bring the league into the mainstream spotlight. Enter Caitlin Clark, a rookie with a superstar’s presence, a record-breaking college resume, and a fanbase that fills arenas and lights up social media. She’s been hailed as the marketing savior of women’s basketball, the player who could finally push the WNBA into the national conversation.

But Clark’s arrival hasn’t just changed the game for herself or her team, the Indiana Fever. It’s rewritten the rules for everyone—especially for those fighting for their basketball lives on the fringes of the league. No player’s story illustrates this better than Ashley Joens, whose WNBA journey reached its most dramatic moment after a single game against Clark.

A Star in College, A Fighter in the Pros

Ashley Joens wasn’t just another hopeful trying to make it in professional basketball. At Iowa State, she was a legend: the school’s all-time leading scorer, a multi-time All-American, and a player whose name was synonymous with hard work and clutch moments. When the Dallas Wings selected her with the 19th pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft, it seemed like the next chapter of her story was about to unfold in the brightest lights.

But the WNBA is unforgiving. With only 144 roster spots—compared to the NBA’s 450—the margin for error is razor-thin. Joens was cut by Dallas before she could even settle in, her dream job gone in an instant. This kicked off a roller-coaster year: a brief emergency contract with the Las Vegas Aces, another short stint back in Dallas, and a late-season run with the Phoenix Mercury. Nineteen games across three teams in her rookie season, but never enough to secure a permanent spot.

Then came the hardest part: a year in basketball wilderness. No WNBA team, no paycheck, just relentless training and the hope that another chance would come.

The Final Shot: Atlanta Gives Joens Another Chance

That chance arrived in March 2025, when the Atlanta Dream offered Joens a training camp contract. It was a lifeline—a shot at redemption after a year spent fighting doubts and working in the shadows. But the odds were steep. In preseason, Joens averaged just eight minutes per game across two matchups. Not much time to prove you belong.

Everything came down to one final preseason game: Atlanta Dream vs. Indiana Fever. The Fever, of course, meant Caitlin Clark. For Joens, this was more than just another game. It was her last, best chance to show she could compete—not just with anyone, but with the most talked-about rookie in the league.

The Clark Effect: Pressure Like Never Before

When Clark steps on the court, the pressure doesn’t just double—it explodes. The stands are packed, the cameras are rolling, and every move is scrutinized. Coaches aren’t just watching how you play; they’re watching how you handle Clark. Can you guard her? Can you score when she’s defending you? Can you keep your composure when the entire basketball world is watching?

For players on the bubble like Joens, the stakes couldn’t be higher. In a league with so few spots, every minute, every shot, every defensive play matters. And now, thanks to Clark’s star power, those moments are magnified a hundredfold.

Joens’ Best Game—And the Cruelest Twist

Joens rose to the occasion. In her limited minutes, she scored five points on one-of-four shooting, added an assist, and played her best basketball of the preseason. The Dream lost 81-76, but Joens had found her rhythm at exactly the right time. For a moment, it looked like her perseverance might finally pay off.

Then, just hours after the final buzzer, the news broke: Atlanta had waived Ashley Joens. Despite her best performance, she was out. The timing was brutal—and it raised uncomfortable questions. Was she cut because of her play, or because the Dream needed someone who could handle the unique pressure of facing Clark in regular season matchups? Was it about basketball, or about surviving the Clark spotlight?

The Hidden Cost of Stardom

Joens’ story isn’t unique. Kennedy Carter, another talented player, found herself out of the league after a flagrant foul against Clark. One incident, one moment in the spotlight, and her WNBA career was over—she’s now playing in Mexico.

This is the hidden cost of the Clark effect. The attention Clark brings is a double-edged sword. It’s great for the league, for ratings, for sponsors. But for players fighting for their place, it means every game, every matchup against Clark, can make or break a career. The pressure isn’t just about basketball anymore. It’s about handling the glare of the spotlight, the scrutiny of fans and media, and the expectations of coaches who know that every game against Clark is a national event.

More Than Just a Game

It’s easy to focus on the stars—the Clarks, the Swoops, the Taurasis—who define eras and fill highlight reels. But behind every superstar are dozens of players like Joens, grinding for a chance, knowing that one bad game (or even one good game that’s not quite good enough) can end it all.

For Joens, the cruel irony is that her best wasn’t enough. She played her heart out when the world was watching, and it still wasn’t enough to save her spot. That’s the reality for so many in the WNBA: only 144 spots, and now, thanks to Clark, the bar is higher than ever.

The Legacy of the Clark Effect

Caitlin Clark is changing the WNBA, and mostly for the better. Ratings are up, arenas are full, and young girls everywhere have a new hero to emulate. But as the league grows, it must also reckon with the human cost of its newfound spotlight. For every Clark, there’s a Joens—someone whose dream ends quietly, just out of view, after giving everything she had.

Joens’ story is a reminder that in the WNBA, as in life, sometimes your best just isn’t enough. And sometimes, the game changes in ways no one could have predicted. The Clark effect is real, and it’s rewriting the rules for everyone.

Caitlin Clark is the WNBA’s biggest star — but basketball isn’t what her mom is most proud of

Caitlin Clark is the WNBA’s biggest star — but basketball isn’t what her mom is most proud of

Basketball star Caitlin Clark has opened up about how her mother feels about her accomplishments.

The Indiana Fever player revealed all in an episode on the New Heights podcast Thursday with co-hosts Jason and Travis Kelce. Clark spoke about growing up and how her basketball career formed, from the time she was contacted by colleges at only 13 years old to most recently being named Time magazine’s 2024 Athlete of the Year.

After the Kelce brothers introduced Clark, they were convinced that they had forgotten to list one of the Rookie of the Year’s many accomplishments, and she jokingly replied that the brothers might have “made some up.”

Travis began by asking the former University of Iowa player which accomplishment has meant the most to her. She deferred to what she knew her mom would think.

“I’d give you the answer my mom would say – probably Academic All-American. She was proud of me for being a good student in college,” she told the podcast hosts.

In 2024 Clark was named Time magazine’s Athlete of the Year and Female Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press. (Getty Images)

The Academic All-American program is specifically for college athletes who perform well both in their respective sports and academically through their grades.

To qualify for the award the student must have a GPA above 3.50 on a 4.0 scale, and must play in a required percentage of games. In April 2024, Clark was named the 2023-24 Academic All-America Team Member of the Year with a GPA of 3.64.

She had also won the award the year prior, making her the seventh player to earn the honor in back-to-back seasons.

Although her mother may have a preference for Clark’s academic achievements, Clark herself admitted that she thinks all of her accolades mean something to her.

“They’re all cool, but you don’t really care,” she said. “It kinda just comes with it. It comes with having fun.”

The WNBA player emphasized, however, that she did think the Time article about her particularly stood out.

“I think the Time Athlete of the Year was cool, too, just because you see the list of all of the athletes that they’ve had prior to me, and a lot of those people I idolized growing up,” Clark said, mentioning that LeBron James has been the only other basketball player to earn the title.

“They haven’t had many females on the cover, too, so for women’s sports it’s kinda special,” she added.

In addition to Clark’s recognition from Time, the Indiana Fever player was also named Female Athlete of the Year by The Associated Press at the end of December 2024.

A group of 74 sports journalists from The Associated Press and its members voted on the award. Clark received 35 votes, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles was second with 25, and boxer Imane Khelif was third, with four votes.

Clark is only the fourth women’s basketball player to be honored as the female athlete of the year since it was first presented in 1931, joining Sheryl Swoopes (1993), Rebecca Lobo (1995), and Candace Parker (2008, 2021).

“I grew up a fan of Candace Parker and the people who came before me, and to be honored in this way, is super special and I’m thankful,” Clark told the outlet following her win. “It was a great year for women’s basketball and women’s sports.”