USA Today via Reuters
The Sheryl Swoopes-Caitlin Clark saga has been going on for over a year now. It started with the NCAA Queen breaking one of Swoopes’ records, which many say didn’t go down well with the WNBA legend. Every time the Iowa sensation broke a big record, the 4x WNBA champion has reacted to it in a way that most Clark fans would not like. Swoopes’s criticism of Clark reached the zenith when she ignored the 22-year-old’s contribution to the Indiana Fever. Until now.
After much delay, Swoopes finally applauded Clark for being a vital part of the Indiana Fever. The 3x Olympic gold medalist’s comments not only reflected her genuineness towards Clark but also showed her understanding of the game. “Curt Miller… I think in a post-game press conference when they played the Fever he said something like ‘Caitlin makes it so difficult for you to defend. Like not only herself but everybody else right because you have to respect her logo three, which makes you come out. You gotta defend her. But what that does is it opens up the floor for everybody else to be able to create for Kelsey Mitchell to do what she does,” Swoopes stated.
Already popular for her logo threes, Clark has shot 34.7% from beyond the arc this season. During the game against the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday, the 2x AP Player of the Year hit 40% three-pointers, creating difficulties for her opponents, as they lost the game ultimately by a 93-86 tally. Clark’s emergence, especially after the Olympics break, has propelled the Fever to win 10 out of the 12 games they have played. And after their Tuesday’s win over the Atlanta Dream, they have officially cemented a playoff spot for themselves, a feat they hadn’t achieved since 2016. Hence, Swoopes’s praise of Clark was due for quite some time.
“But Kelsey is so quick with the ball without the ball. Then you got Lexie Hull who is really shooting the ball, Aliyah Boston has all that paint area to work with, NaLyssa Smith she’s taking you on the perimeter doing what she does. Then you bring in Dantas and Fagbenle like they are just clicking on all pillars right now. And if I’m in any other team, not saying I am worried about them. But you can’t just go into Indiana now and say now this is gonna be a win. You gotta go in and play,” Swoopes added via Queens of the Court podcast.
During an episode of the Queens of the Court in August, Swoopes had taken note of the rise of the Indiana Fever while not crediting Clark for the 360-degree change in their campaign. Then, when during a matchup between the Las Vegas Aces and the Dallas Wings in August, Swoopes’s co-host praised Clark, the broadcaster went silent on air for almost 90 seconds, which many allege was due to her hate for Clark.
Swoopes had also backed the Chicago Sky guard Diamond Deshields after she pushed Clark during the final Sky-Fever clash in August and post that the WNBA icon did not appear for the commentary duties in the matchup between the Fever and Wings this month. Hence, all this gave the rookie’s fans the impression that Swoopes detested Clark. However, the Houston Comets legend previously had revealed her personal texts with Clark to quash such rumors.
Sheryl Swoopes shares her texts with Caitlin Clark
When Clark had eclipsed Kelsey Plum’s record for the all-time leading women’s NCAA DI scorer in March, Swoopes had mistakenly opined that Clark had accomplished the feat in 5 years instead of 4. According to Swoopes, the Des Moines-born had taken an extra year of COVID-19 eligibility, which we all know wasn’t true. Hence, when things heated up between Lieberman and Swoopes, the latter took to X to share the screenshots of the personal texts between her and Clark, which proved that Swoopes wasn’t hating on the talented point guard after all.
“Covid year has me all confused…Lol! I also have nothing but respect for you and your game and appreciate your skill,” Swoopes had apologized to Clark before praising her for her achievements. The first-overall pick this year also reciprocated with love and respect as she thanked Swoopes for being an advocate for women’s sports and inspiring many like her.
Hopefully, Swoopes praising Clark now will put all allegations against Swoopes to rest. And when the Indiana Fever rookie plies her trade in the playoffs, perhaps Swoopes will be the happiest spectator.
