Caitlin Clark just entered her second year in the WNBA. Though she is no longer a rookie, it is still very early in her professional career. Most players have tampered expectations placed on them when they are only six games into their second season.

However, that’s not the case for Clark. The Iowa product is perhaps the biggest star in the WNBA, as evident by the league’s ratings. When Clark missed time this season due to injury, WNBA viewership dropped by 50 percent.

And when she does play, she carries both the league ratings and her teammates to success. Like a true star, the team looks different when she is out of the lineup. South Carolina Gamecocks head coach Dawn Staley recently called this “the most dangerous thing” about Clark’s game.

Dawn Staley Doesn’t Hold Back About Caitlin Clark

It’s time evaluators start appreciating a side of Clark that often goes unnoticed. We know her as a sharp scorer and fearless beyond the arc. Defenders collapse the moment she gets the ball.

But very few have pointed out her most underrated strength, which is her ability to make her teammates better. With all of the discussions placed around her, this might be the most refreshing thing fans have heard about her so far.

Speaking on the “Not Gonna Lie” podcast with Kylie Kelce, Staley gave an honest look into what it’s like to coach against Clark.

“I don’t know if there’s a player that I coached against that had 30 points against us in the two times that they played,” Stanley said. “Both one’s a win and one’s a loss. I would say she’s probably the most difficult to scout, to play against, in that she can beat you a variety of ways. She can beat you with her, obviously, a three-point shot.”

She then revealed Clark’s most underrated ability that truly defines her real value.

“But for me, the most dangerous thing of Caitlin Clark is her passing ability,” Staley continued, “her ability to make other people better and her ability to have, you know, other people’s production along with her production. That’s how you win. If you can get somebody to produce along with her.”

Staley coached against Clark twice in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament. She watched her closely and knows firsthand what makes the Fever’s guard a terror on the court.

Clark is currently putting up 21.3 points per game and is averaging 8.7 assists per game. While some fans might not have noticed her all-around game, Stanley is well aware of it. That said, the legendary coach acknowledged potential risks that come with Clark’s profile.

“She’s a risk taker when it comes to passing the ball. She’ll turn the ball over some, and that’s a great thing if you’re her opposition,” she said.

In 2024, Clark set a WNBA rookie record with 223 turnovers. But those rookie days are behind her. Now she’s evolving into a true team player, and her high-risk, high-reward approach is helping fuel her team’s overall growth.