Barkley Thinks the WNBA Should Put Some Respect on Caitlin Clark‘s Name
Barkley calls out the Caitlin Clark haters.
The Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark has not had it easy ever since she entered the WNBA.
She was shunned by vets off of the court and was bullied by them on the court.
They said she wasn’t going to have an easy time adjusting to professional play and then proceeded to make it as difficult as possible for her when they played against her.
This led to Clark and the Fever starting the season off slow.
In Indiana’s first 10 games, they only won 2 games. And to add salt to injury, Clark averaged 5.6 turnovers a game and shot the ball 37.6 percent.
That’s really bad, especially when she was expected to be the next WNBA great.
As the season went on, however, Clark improved and so did her team.
She adjusted to the WNBA game, became a legendary rookie, and was helping the Indiana Fever win games.
But she was still getting hate from former and current players.
And this just disappoints NBA legend Charles Barkley.
Barkley was on The Bill Simmons Podcast and told the host that all of this hate Clark is getting is pure “bulls--t.”
Via Sports Illustrated:
“These ladies—and I’m a WNBA fan—they cannot have f---ed this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried,” Barkley said on The Bill Simmons Podcast on Wednesday. “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---ed this thing up any worse. There’s been so much negativity.”
Ever since Clark entered the WNBA, attendance and viewership have skyrocketed.
According to NBC Sports, ticket sales for the opening month were up 156% from 2023.
Additionally, she has also led the Indiana Fever to a playoff berth, the team’s first in 8 seasons.
The “Clark Effect” is real and, as Barkley says, the league should appreciate her more.
Quote of the Week
“I believe that good defense embodies seven cardinal principles: reduce the number of your opponent’s shots; force your opponent into low percentage shots; control everything within 18 feet; eliminate second shots; no easy baskets; point the ball on all long shots; and prevent the ball from going into the pivot man.”
-Adolph Rupp
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