Caitlin Clark has concluded her first regular season in the WNBA, exceeding all the expectations placed on her. However, the Indiana Fever star received a lot of flak from former players and analysts throughout the year. Therefore, ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe called out Stephen A. Smith and other ESPN contributors for the treatment Clark continues to receive despite her historic rookie season in the WNBA.
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Sharpe went on a passionate rant on First Take, calling out all the haters who have tried to downplay Clark’s impact on the league on the ESPN network. Following her historic season, he hopes their attitude shifts. Sharpe said,
“A lot of this noise came from people that were sitting in this network [ESPN]. They tried to minimize her [impact].”
Sharpe pointed out that a lot of people at ESPN tried to question the coverage Clark received throughout the year. Instead, they wanted the attention to shift to veteran players who came before CC.
“Caitlin Clark is box office. She’s doing this. And instead of giving her credit, y’all trying to make it about, ‘Oh, y’all poo pooing the old guard…’ Nah, I ain’t gonna let it slide.”
— Shannon Sharpe ️
(via @FirstTake) pic.twitter.com/1mtAtYxG71
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 23, 2024
Sharpe said that the focus on Clark was never intended to be a slight on other players. But there was no justification for trying to undermine Clark’s historic impact on the WNBA after watching the unbelievable spike in ratings, attendance, and jersey sales.
“Caitlin Clark is box office. She’s doing this. And instead of giving her credit, y’all trying to make it about, ‘Oh, y’all poo pooing the old guard…’ Nah, I ain’t gonna let it slide,” Sharpe added.
There hasn’t been a female basketball player who has garnered the same attention that Clark has. Many former players like Sheryl Swoops have tried to discredit Clark’s amazing achievements.
However, Sharpe didn’t hold back calling out his employer, ESPN. He critiqued the voices that used the platform to spew words of jealousy and discredit the rookie sensation.
Despite Clark continually achieving great things in her rookie season, the narratives weren’t always in her favor.
Instead, people have continued to point out her flaws such as her turnovers or her team’s poor record early in the season. However, that never stopped Clark.
She proceeded to lead the WNBA in total assists and set the single-season assists record. Clarke shattered the rookie scoring record set by Seimone Augustus as well.
She was even fourth in MVP voting. To cap off her season, Clark was unanimously voted the WNBA Rookie of the Year.
Sharpe pointed this out and said, “Caitlin Clark unanimous Rookie of the Year. What’s even more impressive, she’s All-WNBA First Team.”
Most importantly, Clark impacted her team’s winning. The Fever clinched their first postseason appearance since 2016. Following eight years of rebuilding, Clark turned the franchise around in her first year with the franchise.
After a historic season such as this, Sharpe believes that Clark deserves more respect for her performance. The Superstar guard is only 22 years old and will only get better.
