ARLINGTON, Texas — When Alysha Clark entered the WNBA in 2010, some of Dallas’ youngest players were still in elementary school.
Now, 13 seasons later, the veteran forward has become one of the most vocal pillars of a rebuilding Dallas Wings team still learning how to win together. This experience could prove especially valuable as Dallas prepares to face a youthful Washington Mystics squad on Monday night.
Clark’s presence has been pivotal for members of the Wings’ young core, with her guidance often coming before a question is even asked.
“A lot of the time, I don’t even have to say anything,” Wings rookie Azzi Fudd said. “They can see my brain turning, they can see whatever just happened in a play and they’re gonna come to me, and correct me and give me advice and tips on what to do. I am so fortunate to be on a team with vets and people with experience who are willing to help me.”
A Champion’s Definition of Success
Along with Clark being an experienced player, she is also an accomplished one. With three WNBA championships, a Sixth Player of the Year award, and two All-Defensive First Team Honors under her belt, her time in the WNBA has been fruitful. However, she stressed patience and preparation to younger players as keys to success.
“They think it comes easy and that it’s supposed to come quickly,” Clark said. “Success looks different for everybody. Just because I’ve won a championship doesn’t mean my success is better than anyone else’s success who maybe hasn’t won yet. But I think just understanding that it’s gonna be the details, the preparation, and it’s the long game.”
Early in a player’s career, that commitment often comes naturally. Most rookies enter the league hungry and eager to prove themselves, willing to spend extra time in the gym and absorb all of the knowledge around them.
But Clark believes the players who last in the WNBA are the ones who maintain that level of discipline long after the excitement and novelty have faded.
“It’s like, okay, yeah, day one and day 25, you’re all excited to come in and do your lifts and do your shooting,” Clark said. “But day 60, day 70, what does that look like? I think that consistency, long term, is something that I think maybe they don’t think about as much.”
Veteran Savvy Meets Washington’s Youth
As the Wings prepare for their matchup against the Mystics, the experience and mentorship of Clark and other Wings veterans could be a difference-maker.
Experience is hard to fake in the WNBA, and the Mystics are still building theirs, with Michaela Onyenwere entering just her sixth season as the team’s most experienced player.
Meanwhile, Dallas enters the matchup against veterans who have spent more than a decade learning the league’s rhythms and are passing that knowledge on to younger teammates seeking guidance.
Still, the Wings know Washington’s youth brings its own challenges.
“The way (the Mystics) play, they’re young, they’re hungry, they’re super aggressive,” Fudd said. “We’re on the flip side of that. We’re a mix of young and seasoned, but also aggressive and excited for the matchup.”
Carrying On the Legacy
For Clark, helping younger teammates navigate matchups like Monday’s is part of a larger legacy she once benefited from herself.
“To come into this environment and have the amazing vets that I did, I always said, ‘okay, when I get in that position, I’m gonna pour into my young players the same way,” Clark said. “I want them in 10, 15 years to be like, ‘yeah, when my vet was here, (Alysha Clark) helped with these things.’ For me, it’s just a way to kind of carry on that legacy of the OGs before.”
