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Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark is already embracing a leadership role within the team in her rookie season.

“I think as a point guard you have to be vocal, whether I want to or whether I don’t want to. There’s no choice there,” she told reporters following Wednesday’s 89-84 defeat to the Washington Mystics.

“If you’re gonna be the point guard, you have to be vocal for your team. They look to me to call a play every single dead ball. They look to me to call a play when the other team goes to the free-throw line. But also, I want to motivate them and encourage them and be somebody that they can lean on. I feel like that’s something I’m gonna continue to still find my voice in. Obviously I’m a rookie and still trying to kind of learn my way and learn my teammates at the same time. I think it’s definitely an area I’ve improved in and I’m gonna continue to improve in.”

Clark’s playmaking ability at Iowa got somewhat overshadowed by her prodigious scoring. She averaged 8.2 assists over her four years at Iowa, which is the sixth-highest number in Division I dating back to the 1987-88 season.

That’s part of the reason why the 6’0″ guard was a great fit for the Indiana Fever. Her game allowed her to adjust relatively well to a roster that included reigning Rookie of the Year Aliyah Boston and 2023 All-Star Kelsey Mitchell.

Clark’s first year hasn’t gone totally according to plan so far. She has been a more inefficient shooter compared to her college days (39.3 percent), and her 127 turnovers are far and away the most in the WNBA. The Fever are also 9-14 and eighth in the league standings.

Still, the 22-year-old has a clear understanding of the function she occupies on the floor right now and the expectations she carries as Indiana’s designated floor general.