“Applaud What Caitlin Clark Is Doing”: Stephen A. Smith Supports Fever Star’s Decision to Not Participate in NBA All-Star Weekend

Caitlin Clark has already cemented herself as a star in the WNBA after just one season, but it’s become clear that the former Iowa Hawkeye will play out her career on her own terms. The 23-year-old’s representatives announced that she would not be participating in NBA All-Star special 3-point shootout in San Francisco, according to Shams Charania. Instead, Clark wants her first three-point contest to be at WNBA All-Star in Indianapolis this summer.

Chiney Ogwumike brought up Clark’s decision on a First Take, which Stephen A. Smith agreed with despite his perplexed expression. Stephen A. first acknowledged that the WNBA All-Star Game had its biggest viewing audience ever while the NBA All-Star Game experienced its second-lowest viewership in league history. He also brought up how Sabrina Ionescu and Stephen Curry’s three-point shootout resulted in the most-viewed All-Star Saturday in four years.

Smith highlighted all of this in order to heap praise on Clark for her decision to sit out, saying,

“I applaud what Caitlin Clark is doing. She’s putting the WNBA first.” 

Rather than helping boost the NBA’s struggling ratings, Clark is making her own league and the women who play in it her top priority.

Stephen A. underlined that considering the lackluster effort NBA players exhibit throughout All-Star Weekend, WNBA players should matter more, period. The longtime sports broadcaster emphasized how NBA athletes play harder during their offseason workouts than they do during the league’s midseason festivities. Meanwhile, WNBA athletes show effort in each and every competition.

Smith referred to the current state of the NBA All-Star Weekend as a travesty, calling out the players for simply not caring enough. Stephen A. was so frustrated with the league-wide lack of urgency that he suggested the league cancel the weekend altogether if it fails again this year.

Stephen A. suggested NBA players participate in WNBA All-Star Weekend

After his lengthy criticism of the NBA All-Star Weekend, Stephen A. segued into what he believes could help bolster the WNBA All-Star Weekend’s ratings. The 57-year-old threw out an interesting idea, essentially proposing that the NBA does the inverse of what the W did with Ionescu. Smith said,

“I think it would be incredible if the Steph Currys, the Klay Thompsons of the world and others showed up to the WNBA All-Star Game and competed in one of those contests.”

It would undoubtedly provide a boost for the W’s All-Star ratings if stars from the NBA were willing to participate in a special event. Stephen A. emphasized how supportive NBA players are of the WNBA and its athletes, so it’s likely many of them would be more than willing to compete in the festivities.