Although Caitlin Clark is the most popular face in women’s basketball, she has been on the receiving end of great criticism from many. Iconically, WNBA legend, Sheryl Swoopes, has also spoken out on Clark in a negative light several times and she has even faced backlash for it. But Swoops isn’t the spokesperson of all WNBA legends. In fact, one incredibly talented and respected former player and also a Fever legend, Tamika Catchings, took Clark under her wing. The reigning Rookie of the Year, while talking to the Kelce brothers, got completely honest about what Catchings’ support means to her.
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Clark joined Jason and Travis Kelce’s New Heights Podcast. Of the people who played a massive part in Clark’s transition to the WNBA, none played a greater role than Catchings. She said,
“She is still really big here in the Indianapolis community and she was one of the first people to text me after I got picked and still checks in on me. It’s cool somebody that’s not in your building every single day but means so much to your community and to the organization. To have that like she’s like a legend. Her numbers up in the rafters. That’s somebody I idolized.”
Before the Fever selected Clark with the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Catchings was the biggest name in the franchise’s history. Catchings led the Fever to their first and only WNBA championship in 2012. She is one of the pioneers of women’s basketball and established a culture with the Fever. Moreover, she expressed a willingness to mentor Clark.
Clark holds Catchings dear to her heart due to the outward care she consistently shows. “For her to just take two seconds to check in on me and see how I’m doing, that’s really special,” Clark said. The one-time All-Star looks to carry out Catchings’ legacy with the Fever and deliver another championship to Indiana. With Tamika in her corner, Clark has all the tools to make it come true.
Catchings defends Clark
Last season was topsy-turvy for Clark. On one hand, she was a crucial part of the season that changed the entire landscape of the league, on the other, she was one of the most criticized players despite an iconic rookie season. But despite all of that, Catchings had Clark’s back regardless of who her mentee was up against. She famously used her voice to express her feelings regarding Chennedy Carter’s infamous foul on Clark in the 2024 season.
“The cheap shot, I don’t agree with that, I don’t agree with that, especially that’s where injuries happen,” Catchings said. “The play itself was wrong. As a whole, we all have a responsibility to make sure that things like that don’t happen, for anybody to get hit like that.”
Catchings didn’t lift Clark to a higher pedestal but put her in the same lens as the rest of WNBA players. Athlete protection should be a top priority regardless of who it is. Her public defense is one of the many instances of her support for the Fever star. In Clark’s effort to turn the franchise back into a contender, Catchings will continue to be a crucial influence.
