The Caitlin Clark of It All

 I really hate writing this. Truly I do, but something has to be said, and who better to say it than a 40 year old basketball fan whose opinion was most certainly not requested. As anyone who knows me will attest, ya boy is a lifelong fan of basketball and not just the NBA. High school, college, hell I have even stayed up far too late watching reruns of Euro league games. Of course this means I have followed the WNBA as well for quite some time. And as a long time fan I gotta say to some of the newer fans of the W, y'all are wilding and you know who you are wilding about. 

Caitlin Clark is an amazing player. She is a generational talent I’d say, but to think she was going to waltz into the WNBA and dominate as she did in college was foolish. Diana Taurasi, during the NCAA tourney told Scott Van Pelt: “Look, SVP, reality is coming. There’s levels to this thing. And that’s just life. We all went through it. You see it on the NBA side, and you’re going to see it on this side. You look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to (be playing against) some grown women that have been playing professional basketball for a long time.” It was immediately dismissed as hating and jealousy. Well you can say many things about Taurasi, she’s an asshole, she’s a legend but you can’t say she’s a liar. 

Now the prevailing narrative being pushed is that because Clark has struggled it’s due to pettiness and jealousy. The refs are conspiring against her. It couldn’t possibly be because she is playing against better and more experienced competition. Nope it’s all a massive conspiracy against checks notes the most hyped WNBA prospect possibly since Candace Parker. You do realize that this theory is among the dumbest things I’ve ever seen, and I have seen 5 different Sharknado movies. Here are just a few of the reasons that’s dumb.

*The officiating is letting the defense get too physical.

The WNBA has always been physical. Don’t believe me? Check out the Candace Parker brawl when she was also a hyped rookie against the Detroit Shock.

It was a lot worse than an off the ball hip check foul. Britney Griner, Taurasi, Odyssey Sims, Ivory Latta, Seimone Augustus and on and on and on have all dealt with the increase in physical play from college to the pros. Toughen up buttercups (I refer to the Clark fans complaining.)

*The players should take it easy on her because she is bringing attention to the league.

No the hell they should not. Why are the women expected to not have the competitiveness that made guys like Kobe, revered. If Caitlin Clark is who we have been told she is then guess what? She is going to rise to the challenge of the competition. In fact I posit that it is downright insulting to say let her dominate like she is a Make - a - wish kid. 

*Clark is above criticizing. 

No one is above criticism. We can talk about her higher than usual turnover rate, we talk about how she also appears to be a line stepper. She gets in people’s faces, she pushes players, she is not some shrinking violet who as some have claimed, a victim of assault as others have claimed.

She can be a bit of a dirty player herself. I said it. She tells opponents to “shut the fuck up,” I’ve seen her yell at refs, and hell even some teammates. It’s ok to acknowledge the bad aspects of her game/personality while also admiring the good. I promise you can.

So yeah, that’s all I got. I am going to keep watching and supporting but as I have said numerous times, while I am not a fan of gatekeeping, if you haven’t been watching the WNBA, maybe shut the fuck up a little and learn before being so loud and oftentimes wrong.