Fans blast Sheryl Swoopes after Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell steal limelight at Pacers game: “There is still time to make amends”

WNBA fans lashed out at Hall of Famer Sheryl Swoopes after Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were spotted attending the Indiana Pacers’ preseason game against the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday. The two Indiana Fever stars sat together at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse, with Clark’s boyfriend Connor McCaffery also in attendance.

Clark and Mitchell posed for photos while seated in the front row, much to the excitement of fans, who were thrilled to see the Fever teammates spending quality time together during the offseason.

However, some fans took the opportunity to call out Swoopes, who had previously claimed that certain Fever players were unhappy being part of the team led by Clark.

“Remember when Sheryl Swoopes said Caitlin Clark’s teammates want to leave 🤡,” a fan wrote.

Another fan criticized the WNBA legend for causing unnecessary drama, asserting that Swoopes has no real insight into the Fever’s locker room dynamics.

“Swoopes is stirring the pot and feels threatened twice over. A) she prob can’t stand this white girl from Iowa whipping the entire league into a frenzy. And b) she’s going to have to come to terms that she doesn’t have her finger in the pulse of the Fever and it’s team dynamics.”

“She was rooting so hard for chaos in Indy. But so far only Smith is probably expected to be gone and that’ll be a net positive regardless of who replaces her,” said an X user.

One fan expressed the opinion that Swoopes has stained her own legacy, but noted that the WNBA legend still has the opportunity to make things right.

“IMO, Sheryl Swoopes has tarnished her own legacy. But, there is still time to make amends.”

“Remember that Caitlin Clark is better than peak Sheryl Swoopes! Jealous haters the whole lot of them!” another user wrote.

“Swoops is irrelevant. Quit giving her time!!” wrote another user.

What did Sheryl Swoopes say about Indiana Fever’s locker room?

In September, Sheryl Swoopes appeared on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast and made a bold claim that some Indiana Fever players were considering leaving the team. The four-time WNBA champion also suggested that there was turmoil within the Fever locker room, though she did not provide any evidence to support her statements.

“There’s a lot of other s*** going on, that other (Fever) players are like ‘This ain’t where I want to be,'” Swoopes had said. “So you have players that are very significant on this Indiana Fever team that are like, ‘I don’t. … I don’t think this is where I wanna be this year.'”

Despite Swoopes’ claims, the Indiana Fever displayed strong camaraderie, making their first playoff appearance in eight years. Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell were instrumental in leading the team to the postseason. However, Christie Sides’ squad was ultimately swept by the Connecticut Sun in the first round, ending their playoff run.