Sports media legend Dan Patrick made his addition to the Caitlin Clark controversy this week.
Patrick got on his radio talk show and bashed Mystics owner Sheila Johnson and her comments she made on CNN about Clark. The reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year was honored as TIME Magazine's Athlete of the Year, and as a result has been on the receiving end of criticism revolving around the topic of race.
Mystics owner Sheila Johnson said on CNN that she believes that Clark's honor takes away from the overall growth of the league. She believes that TIME Magazine should have included the entire WNBA as "the League of the Year."
Countless media personalities, such as Skip Bayless, have made their opinions on the topic known. Patrick is the latest.
Patrick said the situation is "unfortunate" for the growth of the WNBA-- and that the league itself is hindering said growth.
"Can't we just acknowledge Caitlin Clark changed the WNBA? That's it, it's okay," said Patrick.
"It's a win... Take a victory lap." -Dan Patrick
Patrick compared Clark's influence on women's basketball to Wayne Gretzky's impact on hockey, or to Tiger Woods' on golf. Patrick made note that this had less to do with Clark's talent compared to WNBA legends-- though, she has the talent-- and more to do with the massive shift in viewership and attendance.
" want to throw in Angel Reese, you want to throw in the memory of Cheryl Miller, or Cynthia Cooper," said Patrick. "Caitlin Clark changed the WNBA. It's okay to say that. You're not diminishing what the founding fathers of the WNBA did, you're not... She's the TIME of the Year, the league won."
Patrick's cohost, Marvin Prince, also chimed in during the segment. He noted that, as a UConn grad, he has witnessed women's basketball greatness first-hand. But even Prince admits that he has seen nothing like Clark.
"There's a difference between 'great players' and 'phenomenons,'" said Prince. "No one ever said there weren't ever great players before Caitlin Clark... but no one's ever moved the needle like this."
Clark continues to be the central topic of discussion, even ten days after TIME released its Athlete of the Year article. Catch Patrick's full segment here.