Caitlin Clark has become a transcendental figure in the sport after her arrival in the WNBA has catalyzed, or at least coincided with, an unprecedented growth in attendance and viewership in the league.
However, the Indiana Fever star has been the subject of disparagement from many folks, including her fellow players. NBA legend Charles Barkley chastised the critics for showing “petty jealousness” toward her when they also stand to benefit from her continuously increasing popularity.
"They cannot have f—ed this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried."
Charles Barkley sounds off against some of the WNBA media's negative narratives that have surrounded Caitlin Clark this season.@BillSimmons pic.twitter.com/GrWbY5xiB4
— The Ringer (@ringer) September 4, 2024
“These ladies — and I’m a WNBA fan — they cannot have f—– this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried,” Barkley said on Bill Simmons’ podcast. “People believe what we say on television. Just because people don’t like you or your personality, they can’t get on TV and slander you. It’s just total bulls—.
“This girl is incredible. The number of attention, eyeballs she’s brought to college and the pros, and for these women to have this petty jealousness, you’re saying to yourself, ‘Damn. What is going on here?’ And the thing I love about her, she never says a word. But these ladies who I love and respect their game, they couldn’t have f—– this thing up any worse. There’s been so much negativity, and a lot of it is just petty jealousness.”
Barkley’s comments came on the heels of women’s basketball legends Nancy Lieberman and Sheryl Swoopes ending their friendship because of their supposedly contrasting opinions about Clark.
Lieberman recently appeared on Stephen A. Smith’s show and talked about cutting ties with Swoopes for downplaying Clark’s NCAA scoring record earlier this year. According to the retired point guard, her life will be good “with or without” the three-time WNBA MVP.
Swoopes then clapped back on X, saying she is also fine without Lieberman. The Houston Comets icon then shared screenshots of her private conversation with Clark, whom she apologized to and praised.
Other personalities have offered negative views about Clark, but the rookie phenom has admirably taken the high road, as Barkley pointed out.
She has let her game do the talking and now appears on the way to edging out rival Angel Reese in this season’s WNBA Rookie of the Year race. Perhaps more importantly, she has been at the forefront of the Fever’s massive improvement in the standings. The team has even clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2016.
It’s also worth noting that Clark has displayed her impressive all-around game in her first year as a professional. She is averaging 18.7 points, which ranks ninth among all players and leads all rookies, and a league-leading 8.4 assists per contest. Her average of 5.6 rebounds per match paces all WNBA guards.
Evidently, Clark has proven to be worth all the hype surrounding her entry to the WNBA.
The players also stand to benefit from it, especially since the league’s CBA (collective bargaining agreement) could end in October 2025, and they can probably leverage the 22-year-old star’s fame to ask for higher salaries. In that case, Barkley does make a good point that her peers should be appreciative of Clark.
