Brittney Griner gives advice to Caitlin Clark: ‘It’s different when you come from college to the pros’

Brittney Griner has some advice for Caitlin Clark before she makes her WNBA debut. In an interview with PEOPLE, Griner reveals the biggest challenge Clark and other new WNBA players will face when the season begins.

“It’s different when you come from college to the pros,” Griner tells PEOPLE. “I went from top dog to my numbers going down a bit. You’re going up against grown women. This is how they feed their families. This is not just for the love of the [game]. This is their livelihood.”

Griner is also excited for Clark because of the impact she has already made in the league. “The hype that Caitlin and some others have right now is amazing for the league,” she says. “There’s good talent coming in.” 

When looking at Griner and Clark’s careers, there are some similarities. Both were No. 1 overall picks, both were named AP Player of the Year and both won their conference Player of the Year award three times. Griner was selected No. 1 overall by the Phoenix Mercury in 2013 and led the team to a championship in 2014. Clark was selected No. 1 by the Indiana Fever and is looking to give the team its second title in franchise history.

Caitlin Clark gets love from Peyton Manning

Clark is not the only legendary athlete who is excited to see Clark in action. NFL Hall of Famer Peyton Manning recently spoke about Clark in an interview and is happy she is playing for the Fever.

“It’s awesome and, like I said, I really enjoyed getting to know Caitlin even more,” Manning said. “Throughout this series, she was a guest on our show, the Monday night show, last year. She’s a Chiefs fan – I forgive her for that – but she said she did grow up kind of watching me play and she’s going to love Indianapolis. I gave her all of my contacts at the airport, at St. Elmo’s… and it’s a great place for her to play, I’m looking forward to watching her.”

In April, Clark appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and revealed her expectations for her first year in the WNBA. “I think, yeah, definitely helping us get back to the playoffs,” Clark said. “I think that’s goal, number one. And I think everybody in the Fever organization believes that that’s where we can be in Year 1 for sure. And, you know, Aliyah Boston was Rookie of the Year last year, is a great piece. I think there’s just so much young talent on this roster, and that’s the biggest thing is just buy into that and join that.” 

On3’s Nick Kosko contributed to the article.