TENNIS legend Serena Williams has had a few words of wisdom for WNBA rookie sensation Caitlin Clark.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner offered the Indiana Fever star advice on dealing with critics.

Tennis icon Serena Williams (pictured) has sympathized with Caitlin Clark seeing the WNBA rookie under intense scrutiny for monthsCredit: AP

Williams offered Clark (pictured) advice on how to deal with ‘negative people’Credit: Getty
Clark, 22, has been under intense spotlight for several months now.

The ex-Iowa standout has had her accomplishments questioned and seen her name being used in culture wars following her rapid rise to stardom.

The 6-foot guard’s omission from Team USA’s roster for the 2024 Olympics only intensified the debate over her arrival in the WNBA.

Asked about Clark’s situation, Williams, 42, emphasized with the Fever playmaker.

The tennis icon also told the WNBA rookie to keep up the good work in her rookie year.

“I just love that she tries to stay grounded,” Williams said.

“She says she doesn’t look at her social [media].

“I get it. I don’t either.

“I think it’s so important to just continue to do what she’s doing.

“No matter what other people do, if people are negative it’s because they can’t do what you do, basically

“Hopefully she’ll continue to do as she’s doing.”

Clark averaged 15.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists through her first 14 WNBA games.

She shot 36.7% from the field and 32.2% for 3.

Clark recently addressed seeing her name continuously appear in a wide variety of debates at the intersection of sports and culture.

Caitlin Clark fever

CAITLIN Clark’s impact was already felt by the WNBA even before she was drafted.

The Iowa college superstar went No. 1 overall to the Indiana Fever in a surprise to absolutely nobody.

The Indiana Fever had 36 of their 40 games in the 2024 season scheduled for national TV – up from 22 last year.

Teams also moved their games against the Fever to bigger arenas to cater for the extra ticket demand.

Clark helped the NCAA draw 18.9 million viewers for the women’s championship game, more than the 14.8 million who watched the men’s decider.

She has also already signed a deal with Nike worth upwards of $20 million.

“It’s not something I can control, so I don’t put too much thought and time into thinking about things like that,” Clark said.

“And to be honest, I don’t see a lot of it.”

Asked whether the attempts to weaponize her name bothered Clark, the Fever star reiterated that she is primarily concerned with basketball matters.

“No, I don’t see it,” she said.

“That’s not where my focus is. Again, my focus is here and on basketball.”

The Fever drafted Clark at No. 1 overall after her historic college basketball career.