And now, the reality

 The rook played like a rook. And not just a rook, but, you know, a rook.

As in "Welcome to the bigs, rook."

People waited 2 1/2 hours to get into the arena in Uncasville, Conn., last night for Caitlin Clark's official WNBA debut, and the Connecticut Sun handed out 170 media credentials, and what they saw was an old, old story. What they saw was a rout -- and, no, not the Sun making kindling out of the Indiana Fever, 92-71.

What they saw was reality once again smacking hype upside the head.

Folks who should know better have been saying Clark is the greatest women's player ever, and saying she will turn the woeful Fever around all by her lonesome, and saying ... oh, hell, all manner of fanciful things. It got to the point where you began to feel sorry for Clark, because there's no way she could possibly meet all the absurd expectations heaped upon her unless she actually grew wings and flew in last night's debut.

She did not. What she did, instead, is demonstrate that the WNBA is an entirely different level than women's college buckets -- as some WNBA vets have been saying, and for which they were dismissed as jealous old grumps.

Well, hello, people. With veteran WBNA guard DiJonai Carrington putting the clamps on on her for much of the night, Clark didn't score until midway through the second quarter, didn't warm up from the 3-point line until the second half, and played a horrendous floor game, turning it over 10 times. It was the most turnovers in a career debut in league history.

She did score 20 points to lead the Fever, but was 2-of-10 from the floor while Carrington was dogging her and dished just three assists. Welcome to the bigs, rook, indeed.

None of this is to suggest Clark isn't a terrific player, She is, or will be. What she's not -- yet -- is the greatest women's player ever, nor even the greatest WNBA rookie ever. The Blob can name at least half a dozen more accomplished rooks, the most recent being Breanna Stewart.

And in the meantime?

In the meantime, Clark continues to have her head screwed on far straighter than a lot of those around her.

After last night she said, look, she was disappointed, but she wasn't going to dwell on it, because that wouldn't be good for anyone. All she can do, she said, is learn from the experience and keep moving forward.

Good advice at any time, and for anyone.