Caitlin Clark has been dealing with a groin injury since July 15. The Indiana Fever are 9-8 in games without her and 8-5 in games that she’s played, so the team has been moving up the WNBA standings and now sits fifth overall. Despite the sensational play of Clark’s backcourt mate Kelsey Mitchell, who dropped 34 points in a 100-91 loss to the Rickea Jackson, Cameron Brink, Kelsey Plum and the LA Sparks on Wednesday night, conversation around the league is still focused on CC.
Jeff Teague: Caitlin Clark Isn’t As Good As People Say She Is
Atlanta Hawks point guard Jeff Teague gets that and he’s been really turning it up as far as controversial takes go on his Club 520 podcast as of late. He recently accused LeBron James of taking PEDs while James was with the Miami Heat, cracked jokes on Magic Johnson and his son, EJ, and now Teague has dismissed the myth surrounding Caitlin Clark’s basketball brilliance.
Simply stating that the two-time All-Star isn’t as good as people say she is and the team is better without her. At the time they were on a five-game win streak.
Nancy Lieberman’s Savage Response To Jeff Teague’s Caitlin Clark Comments
Anything involving Caitlin Clark that isn’t 100 percent positive is going to get a rise from her extensive fan base. When an NBA player has a platform and is using it to belittle the league’s golden goose, then defense mechanisms start poppin up from everywhere.
Women’s basketball legend Nancy Lieberman got wind of Teague’s comments and stood up for Clark, even pointing to Teague’s career shortcomings as
“I don’t agree with Jeff Teague,” she said, “who, I read something today, said that you know Caitlin Clark — she’s just a good player, she’s not a great player.”
Nancy’s defense of Clark comes after a July episode of Teague’s podcast where the fact that the Indiana Fever was winning games without Clark, according to Teague, is proof that Clark is overrated. He went on to say that the team is actually better without Clark, because she takes a lot of ‘wild a– threes from halfcourt.’
Does Jeff Teague Have A Point About Indiana Fever Being Better Without Caitlin Clark?
He’s not exactly wrong. Indiana is a more efficient shooting team when Clark is not on the floor as far as the numbers are concerned. While she was a career 37.7 percent 3-point shooter at Iowa, that number is down significantly to 32.9 percent in the WNBA. This season, Clark has mightily struggled from deep, shooting just 27.9 percent from 3-point distance. The logo three has not been falling, although many attribute her poor shooting to battling four muscle injuries this season. With 53.1 percent of her total shot attempts this season coming from 3-point territory, Caitlin’s low 36.7 field goal percentage combined with the fact she takes the second most shots per game for her team (17.5) suggests her poor shooting hurts the team.
Still, Lieberman wasn’t having the CC disrespect. The Hall of Famer called out Teague on the 3 and One podcast:
“Jeff said that she’s good, but she’s not that good,” she continued. “I love you; you weren’t a great player, okay, you were serviceable,” Lieberman said of Teague. “I know you made the All-Star team one time. Sorry, if we’re gonna be honest, I’m happy for your career. But she is great.”
Jeff Teage Responds With His Attack On Big3 Career Of Nancy Lieberman’s Son T.J Cline
Lieberman’s vicious shot at Teague’s decent NBA career where he averaged 12.2 points and 5.6 assists per game, inspired one last retort by the podcaster towards the legend. He went at her so, claiming that Lieberman’s comments about him were “kind of true” but compared his NBA career to her son T.J. Cline playing in the Big3 league.
“My career was kind of like your son’s in the Big3 only thing was my mom didn’t draft me,” Teague wrote before adding “nah I’m joking s/o y’all.”
Social Media Was Split On Jeff Teague Caitlin Clark Comments
Teague caught some flak for his comments about Clark.
“Still has to be one of the worst takes that Caitlin isn’t great though…must have gotten paid out fat by Angel’s PR team,” said one fan taking a shot at the injured Chicago Sky star.
Some fans felt his attack on T.J. Cline, Lieberman’s son, was not the flex Teague thought it was.
“Bro just compared his entire NBA career to some random in a league full of retired men. He literally cooked himself,” a fan proclaimed.
The fans suffering from Caitlin Clark fatigue threw support behind Teague and his comments about the CCC hype train. Lieberman’s attacks on Teague’s career didn’t sit well with some fans.
“Glad he clapped back these people are insufferable when it comes to this Caitlin Clark chick. He was only giving an opinion and she took a personal shot at him,” said on netizen.
“Jeff Teague for the WIN….YESSSSSSSSS it’s over if she’s smart she’ll never come for his throne ever again…damn her SON had to take a stray and die so that she could live lolololol,” said one fan, elated with Teague’s savage response.
“Cooker her and her son,” chimed another.
Nancy Lieberman Is A Pioneer Of The Women’s Game
Some may feel Lieberman’s defense of Clark is much of the same lashing out that her fanbase tends to do, but the woman does have credentials. The 67-year-old was a three-time Kodak All-American at Old Dominion and was a star prior to the WNBA even existing. She was a legend in the WBL, WABA, and USBL. As a 39-year-old, she joined the WNBA in its inaugural season as the 15th overall pick by the Phoenix Mercury and went on to coach the Detroit Shock from 1998 to 2000. She also won a championship in the Big3, becoming the first woman to win a pro men’s sports championship in America.
Sophie Cunningham Says Caitlin Clark Is World Famous With Cult Following
Teague knows that any negative comments involving Clark will get him the engagement his podcast has been attracting with every controversial comment. Indiana Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham is one of Clark’s biggest fans and boosters. On a recent podcast, she basically called Clark the most famous person in the world — times 10.
“Not even just the league (WNBA), but women’s basketball as a whole around the world,” Cunningham said on her new “Show Me Something” podcast, about her teammate’s impact on the game.
“I think it’s awesome, I think it’s so funny that she is 22, 23 years old, and the whole world is watching her. It is a cult following… Anywhere you go. It is a home game wherever we play. She’s got security with her 24/7, people are outrageous. Think about the most famous person that you’ve ever met, times it by 10 or 20,” she added.
Even when she’s on the sidelines, Caitlin Clark is the center of attention during the WNBA season. Any disrespect will not be tolerated, but at the very least it will stir up enough trouble to get all of the engagement needed.
