Caitlin Clark sent warning by Britney Griner before hugely anticipated WNBA debut for Indiana Fever: ‘You’re going up against grown women’

Britney Griner had a stern message for Caitlin Clark ahead of her WNBA debut with the Indiana Fever.

“You’re competing against grown women,” Griner told Peoplewhen asked to describe what the 22-year-old rookie will face in the league.

“This is how they feed their families. This is not just out of love for the [game]. This is their livelihood.”

The Phoenix Mercury star admitted she had a difficult transition from Baylor University to the pros after being drafted No. 1 overall in the 2013 WNBA draft.

“It’s different when you come from college to the pros. I went from top dog to my grades dropping a little bit,” she recalled, describing her rookie season as an “eye-opener.”

“You’re competing against grown women,” Griner said, when asked what awaits Clark

‘I had to get stronger, close in a little more. Something will grow [pains] for her, but she’ll be fine,” the two-time Olympic gold medalist said of the Iowa alum.

Clark and Griner could meet for the first time on the court when the Fever play the Mercury on June 30.

However, there’s a chance the two could already be teammates by then if they are both selected for the Team USA roster, which will be finalized in early summer.

“This is how they feed their families. This is their livelihood,” the Olympian added

Clark made her home debut for the Indiana Fever on Thursday, less than a month after the draft

“I always said I played until the wheels fell off,” Griner continued. ‘But if I can’t produce the way I want, I hang it up. I don’t want to push the boundaries or hold the team back.’

Her comments came during Clark’s highly anticipated home debut for the Fever on Thursday night.

Nearly a month after being selected by the team with the first pick in the WNBA Draft, she impressed her home fans with 12 points, eight rebounds, six assists and a block in 32 minutes of play.

“It was a lot of fun, I thought they were loud, I thought they were into it. It was fun to watch,” Clark told reporters after the game.

“This is a preseason game on a Thursday night and there are 13,000 people here,” she said

Some teams are even moving their games to larger venues due to Clark’s growing popularity

“This is a preseason game on Thursday night and there are 13,000 people here,” she continued. “I think this shows what it will be like for us throughout the season. It’s going to help us.’

Some of The Fever’s opponents have even started moving their games to larger venues to accommodate ticket sales the curiosity surrounding Clark.

“For me, this is the best part of it,” she said. “You have to go out and compete every night and if one night isn’t good for us you have the chance to come back a few days later and respond… everyone is excited.”

Clark will play her first regular season game with the Indiana Fever next week.