The Indiana Fever were back in the playoffs for the first time since 2016 behind a historic season from Caitlin Clark. She was an All-Star and finished fourth in MVP voting as she brought a ton of new fans to the WNBA. No player can match her popularity, and Clark is just getting started.
The added fans created plenty of negatives. Social media trolls and unruly supporters at games impacted the lives of players. Clark was a star at the University of Iowa, but her popularity grew with the Fever. Those added supporters were mostly welcomed, but some crossed the line with unacceptable behavior.
Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe discussed the narratives around the WNBA and how they can negatively impact the discourse around the sport on their podcast A Touch More. Bird had a firm stance on a wild Caitlin Clark narrative during the discussion.
Sue Bird sets the record straight on WNBA players targeting Caitlin Clark
This was a multi-layered chat about how the media covers the WNBA. Bird discussed how things began with her and Diana Taurasi talking about Clark at the Final Four. Taurasi noted that rookies face an adjustment period in the W, but those comments were taken to an unacceptable level.
“Once Diana’s comments went viral, it led to the Twitter trolls and bots taking over. What started there was this narrative of petty, jealous players hating on Caitlin. That’s really what happened. That is where it started.”
Bird continued that the narrative led into the WNBA season and has people turning basketball conversations into personal attacks on the players. Rapinoe and Bird further discussed Taurasi’s comments and why there was zero hate on Clark, plus how the narrative spilled deep into the discourse this season. Listen to the full conversation below.
Bird offered this point that fans must remember.
“Nobody is targeting her because they are petty and jealous and want to hurt her.”
The WNBA is a physical league and teams are guarding her full-court to try to stop her from dominating. Letting Clark get to her spots and into her actions creates a long night. The 22-year-old set the league’s record for assists in a game and a season. She was fantastic in year one and other teams must slow her down to defeat the Fever.
Bird mentions moments that crossed the line like this Chennedy Carter play from June.
There are moments like this across sports. Draymond Green and Dillon Brooks are two NBA players who have crossed this line and been suspended for it. It happens. Nobody is trying to hurt Clark. They just want to defeat the Fever in front of a massive crowd and help their team reach their goals.
Narratives play a massive role in sports, but the on-court product should be where the discourse lies. Caitlin Clark is already an elite player on the floor and every team wants to stop her. Doing so is difficult and trying can be frustrating. That is all opposing teams want to do.
Expect Clark to be even better in year two. She will bring massive crowds and excitement with her. The Indiana Fever hope to take the next step and jump into the title picture. There will be plenty of talk about Clark either way. Hopefully, the focus stays on her basketball, and the outside noise quiets. Only time will tell.