Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark has been subjected to rough treatment from her peers in the WNBA. The rookie has been on the receiving end of vicious fouls, with some being labeled as intentional attempts to injure the guard. However, Hall of Famer Reggie Miller believes her treatment is part of a star rookie’s initiation into the pros and she’d be best served if she dished some back.
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On The Mark Jackson Show, the Indiana Pacers icon downplayed the theory that players were jealous of the attention Clark receives and claimed rookie hazing has always been a part of the NBA and WNBA. Mark Jackson concurred and pointed to Connecticut Sun star Alyssa Thomas’ hard foul on Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese as proof that Clark isn’t the only rookie that veterans treated roughly on the court.
While Miller claims that Clark shouldn’t feel like she has a target on her back, he wants her to resort to violent measures to deal with the hard fouls. He said,
“What I would love Caitlin to do is to get up one time and slap the s**t out of someone.”
The Hall of Famer’s astonishing advice left Jackson flabbergasted and prompted him to ask what was wrong with him to suggest that the rookie should resort to violence to deal with hard fouls.
Clark will likely not heed Miller’s questionable advice. The rookie has shown little disdain towards her peers for her rough treatment but has mentioned multiple times that she did not envision her rookie to pan out as it has.
Caitlin Clark has been brutally honest about her struggles
Many expected Caitlin Clark to perform at the same level in the WNBA as she did in the NCAA Tournament with the Iowa Hawkeyes. However, her rookie season has been a rude awakening for the guard, but to her credit, he hasn’t shied away from opening up about her struggles. After her debut game against the Connecticut Sun, Clark admitted she’d time to adjust to the WNBA’s pace,
“The physicality is definitely up there. … I’m easily pushed off screens. The game seems a little fast for me right now. The more I play and the more comfortable I get, it’s going to slow down a little bit. It will be easier for me to make reads, see things develop.”
Clark has since been on the receiving end of a few rough fouls, but none as blatant as Chennedy Carter’s body check with the ball out of bounds.
Chennedy Carter bumps Caitlin Clark and gets called for the off-ball foul (common foul). #WNBA
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/EkJ9dmkho3
— I talk hoops 🏀 (@trendyhoopstars) June 1, 2024
Carter came under heavy scrutiny for her hostile behavior, but Clark downplayed the moment and lauded the Chicago Sky guard for her excellent campaign this season. She said,
“[Chennedy Carter]’s played great basketball, in my eyes probably in first place for Sixth Player of the Year. … There’s no grudges. There’s nothing like that. It’s a sport. It’s competitive. It’s not going to be nice all the time.”
Clark hasn’t bought into the theory that her peers are jealous of her and are targeting her because of the attention she receives. Admirably, the rookie has spoken highly of every player she’s been asked about and has tried her best to disparage negative perceptions about the league. However, it’ll be interesting to see how long she’ll tolerate the hard fouls and if she’ll ever resort to the measures Miller suggested.
