Caitlin Clark is at the center of much discussion this year, particularly regarding comments made by WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes about the Indiana Fever star. Swoopes has expressed her views on Clark multiple times, leading some fans to label her a hater of the rising star. Former professional basketball player Nancy Lieberman discussed the Swoopes-Clark dynamic during an appearance on the “Stephen A. Smith Show.”
Sheryl Swoopes is a distinguished figure in women’s basketball, having won four WNBA championships and three MVP awards during her career with the Houston Comets, Seattle Storm, and Tulsa Shock. Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2016, she is also a six-time WNBA All-Star and a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 15.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 3.2 assists over 12 seasons. Additionally, Swoopes has served as a color analyst and play-by-play announcer for ESPN and other networks.
Earlier this year, Swoopes made controversial statements regarding Clark during a podcast with Gilbert Arenas, which she later had to apologize for due to inaccuracies in her comments. Swoopes claimed, “Caitlin Clark right now probably takes about 40 shots a game,” and questioned the validity of Clark breaking Kelsey Plum’s scoring record due to an extra COVID year, not realizing that Clark averaged only 20.1 shot attempts per game throughout her college career and played for the same number of years as Plum.
In a July appearance on the “Queens of the Court” podcast, Swoopes asserted that Clark did not deserve the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award over Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese, while also suggesting Indiana would still make the playoffs without Clark. Swoopes praised Clark’s contributions to the Fever but insisted the team has more talent overall compared to Chicago.
During her conversation with Stephen A. Smith, Nancy Lieberman elaborated on her discussion with Swoopes, emphasizing the importance of facts in their discourse. She noted that correcting mistakes could have cleared the air, but Swoopes reacted negatively to Lieberman on the phone. Lieberman stated that her relationship with Swoopes is currently strained, declaring she can thrive in life regardless of Swoopes’ involvement.
In response to Lieberman’s remarks, Swoopes expressed on social media that she is also content without Lieberman and others.
As for Caitlin Clark’s performance with the Indiana Fever, she is currently averaging 18.7 points, 8.4 assists, and 5.6 rebounds, with a shooting percentage of 34.1% from three-point range and 89.7% from the free-throw line.