Caitlin Clark. Caitlin Clark. Caitlin Clark. Everybody has an opinion about the polarizing sharpshooter that is the centerpiece of every conversation. As the leader of one of the WNBA’s most popular teams, Clark’s Indiana Fever team currently stands at 6-6, ranked as the No. 3 team in the Eastern Conference and the No. 6 team in the WNBA standings.
Clark’s most recent dustup in a game against Connecticut Sun, where teammate Sophie Cunningham tackled and then grabbed the face and hair of guard Jacy Sheldon, causing a melee where several players were ejected, has been the talk of the WNBA for the past week.
The narrative that she is a victim has been pushed hard, mostly by prominent male voices in sports and continued by her growing fanbase, who make a living praising her and degrading other players in the league, such as her “arch enemy” Angel Reese.
The following game, Clark had one of the worst games of her career against the Golden State Valkyries, going 0-for-7 from 3-point land and appearing very uncomfortable with the aggressive defense. This infuriated the Clark Committee who believed that players should adjust and let her dominate because she is the league’s cash cow.
That’s not how competition works.
Barstool Sports Abandoning Flopper Caitlin Clark?
Dave Portnoy of Barstool Sports has been very vocal about how the “Black women” of the WNBA hate on Clark. He claims she is a victim of their reverse racism and says he will root for Clark and boo Angel Reese every chance he gets. It’s all in the game.
While Portnoy owns Barstool, commentators on his network have the right to express their own views and in a recent podcast rant by one of Portnoy’s employees, Clark’s flopping and attitude were the talking points.
“I might go against everybody on this one,” the commentator said. “She is an amazing player, an awesome player but she is an absolute flopper. She is a flopper, an embellisher. She talks shit. She’s on camera. last night saying I can do whatever the “F” I want to somebody and she gets lightly pushed a couple times. I would put Caitlin Clark’s ability to fall, at the slightest touch up there with any GOAT ever. When she got pushed last night nobody fell like that. She falls with her whole body. That’s why I think she’s a drama queen. I think she’s a great player, but she flops.”
Plenty of people agree.
Said one fan on X who isn’t buying the Clark as victim narrative. “Caitlin Clark is no victim, she’s a flopper… Basketball is a physical sport — and Caitlin is now in the WNBA, she needs to toughen up or get TF outta the league… This Caitlin victim narrative being used by the media and racist — is tired, sad, and pitiful… Chennedy Carter played Caitlin the same way Caitlin played her… And, Angel Reese is supposed to cheer for her teammate…”
In her second season with the Fever, Clark has averaged 19.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game and she is the leader in All-star voting so far.
The Fever star scored just 11 points and also went 3-of-14 from the field against Golden State. After the game, Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase let it be known that being physical is the only way to stop Clark’s shooting prowess.
“I mean, you guys saw what we’re doing. We were being disruptive. We know she doesn’t like physicality,” Nakase said. “We know she wants to get to that left stepback — I watched her at Iowa, she loves that left stepback, it’s almost like a layup for her. So we were just making sure she wasn’t getting into rhythm and then that she was seeing multiple bodies.”
Clark’s flopping has been a point of conversation, as has her constant complaining to the referees, her poor body language and her hit-first and go tell style of play. It doesn’t change the fact that she is one of the game’s best players, but there’s absolutely no levity in any conversation about her. Her basketball is often used as a tool to fuel race wars and attack other WNBA players, while her fans yell that she isn’t being coddled, respected or protected enough.
One or more of these things might be true, but it’s refreshing to also hear people keep it real about what Clark does to get herself in these situations and how she tries to manipulate the narrative, often instigating situations that end up with her in a confrontation with a player.
She’s had plenty of them since she stormed the league in her rookie year. Clark is definitely in the spotlight and her fame is growing. How she handles that fame and her business on the court and relationship with other players across the league will determine how successful she ultimately is.
