So what's it like to cover Caitlin Clark every day in practice? Justin `Juice' Thomas is here to tell you

The former Pike guard plays internationally during the winter months, but during the summer, he's practicing with the Fever, specifically guarding the most famous player in the league.

(Writer update: I did something I haven’t done in over 40 years. In the original draft, I called Justin Thomas “Justin Simmons,” presumably because i had the one-time football free agent in my brain. So for a couple of days, this story has been out there with the young man’s wrong name. Hopefully, that’s been completely corrected. My apologies to the readers, to Thomas and to the Fever.)

Everywhere Justin “Juice” Thomas goes, friends want to know: What’s it like to guard Caitlin Clark every day at practice?

The Pike grad, who played college ball at Northern Illinois, Morehead State and Alcorn State, joined the Fever last year as one of what Clark calls “the practice boys,” the young men who’ve been conscripted to compete against the Fever whenever they practice at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. For Thomas, a 5-foot-11 point guard, Clark is his focus. Every day, he’s using his speed – “the fastest person I’ve ever played against,” Clark said this week – to pressure the WNBA’s biggest star, both offensively and defensively. Every day, he’s covering Clark all 94 feet, his teammates trapping her off ball screens, working her over the way her WNBA opponents attempt to do – with mixed success.

(Photo courtesy of the Indiana Fever)

“The thing about all our practice boys is they all come in with a mentality to help us get better,” Clark said. “They’re very selfless. It’s not about them. Juice, I think he’s here more than anybody. He’s always here, getting us better. Yesterday (Monday) we were one body short for them (the practice squad) and it changed the whole dynamic of practice. A lot of times they’ve got to play defense for an hour straight. Or they play offense for an hour straight, which they probably like a lot more. We couldn’t do what we do without them.”

Said the Fever’s Aliyah Boston: “They do a great job replicating exactly what we’re going to see on the court (in WNBA games). They’re very fast, very physical. If we can continue playing well against them, we’re going to be fine.”

At Pike, Thomas was part of a powerhouse team, averaging 15.5 points, 3.9 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 2.6 steals as a senior in 2015-16. He earned Indiana Associated Press honorable mention and was name to the 2016 Coaches Association Large School All-State team. Pike won 50 games in three seasons, including a pair of sectional titles, and Thomas finished his high school career with 960 points.

He was a part-time starter during his two years at Northern Illinois, started 29 of 30 games after he transferred to Morehead State, averaging 8.5 points and 5.2 rebounds. After a coaching change at Morehead, he used his Covid year and transferred to Alcorn State.

After college, he played international basketball, first in Albania (Albania?) and Morocco, two experiences he enjoyed immensely. Meanwhile, during the last two summers, he’s used the Fever practices to stay in shape and remain ready for his next overseas experience. “We think Germany or France, but I’m still waiting to hear from my agent,” he said.

So what’s it like to guard Caitlin Clark?