The Story Of Why The Entire WNBA Is Attacking Caitlin Clark

For what seems like an eternity, the WNBA has faced relentless ridicule. Basketball fans often mocked their empty championship parades, laughed at their tiny MVP trophies that seemed like Dollar Store finds, and some even dozed off while sitting courtside at games. Online, people shared jokes like, “I’m so mad I had two WNBA tickets in my car, and today someone broke into my car and now there are four WNBA tickets.” The perception of the WNBA and the reputation of their league has been far from stellar.

Recently, the WNBA officials expanded to 10 teams, adding franchises in Detroit and Washington, DC. But before you get too excited about the new additions to the league, remember all of the players are still women. Honestly, as an avid basketball fan who follows the NBA religiously, the only WNBA trade that has even caught my attention was when Brittney Griner was traded for “The Merchant of Death.” That might seem like a cruel joke to some, but I’m just trying to emphasize the point that the WNBA has been so unpopular and under the radar that even a huge basketball fan like myself rarely hears anything about them. Recently, however, that has changed.

From every corner of the basketball world, I’ve been hearing a lot about Caitlin Clark from the University of Iowa. Even during the 2024 NBA Finals, Caitlin Clark’s news continued to make waves. As a basketball fan, it’s impossible to ignore her. After listening to her interviews, watching her games, and reading the articles, it’s easy to see why this hype surrounds her. Her shooting is out of this world, and every other facet of her game is equally remarkable. People have been calling her the female Steph Curry, while some others have been comparing her to the legendary Pistol Pete Maravich. Before she even stepped onto a WNBA court, she was already being mentioned alongside some of the greatest of the greats. At the moment, she’s single-handedly transforming women’s basketball, and it’s no exaggeration to say that she’s the most monumental women’s basketball player of all time. In a league that has been losing money every year since its inception, she’s arguably the only person with the ability to attract fans and pack stadiums, driving up revenue.

 

Her story at the moment reminds me of Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion who put women’s MMA on the map when no one else was interested. From that perspective, the WNBA should be immensely grateful. They might finally have the opportunity to rise from the shadows and into the spotlight. And yet, they’re attacking her, bullying her, and doing everything they can to corner and eliminate her. Why is that? Why is the WNBA openly attacking their Golden Girl, the one player who has a real chance of transforming their sport forever?

To understand why WNBA players are attacking Caitlin Clark, we must first understand the WNBA’s unique culture. Approximately seven years ago, a former WNBA champion and high lottery pick revealed that she was bullied in the league due to her sexual orientation and her popularity. In her own words, she shared, “I wanted to play two more seasons of WNBA, but the experience didn’t lend itself to my mental state. I didn’t like the culture inside the WNBA, and without revealing too much, it was toxic for me. My spirit was being broken.” Following her statement, many WNBA players denied her claims, insisting that her experience was personal and not reflective of the league as a whole. While their perspective is fair, her account sounds more valid when you add up the other stories.

For instance, when Luka Dončić first entered the league, he attempted to support the WNBA by creating what seemed to be a harmless video. The video was completely harmless, and if anything, leaned more towards being positive. The WNBA could have thanked him or simply stayed silent if they disapproved. Instead, the Minnesota Lynx harshly responded with a tweet saying, “Says a guy who hasn’t been to a WNBA game all season but got sent a jersey and recorded a scripted video.” The tweet was never deleted, reflecting the prevailing mindset within the WNBA.

Another familiar story is that the WNBA has been persistently voicing complaints, much like children insisting they deserve higher pay simply because NBA players earn substantial salaries. This kind of culture seems to permeate the WNBA—a blend of passive aggressiveness, childishness, and the toxic behavior that Candice Wiggins spoke about.

So how does this all relate to Caitlin Clark? The WNBA revealed its true colors regarding the star from Iowa. Caitlin has been a dedicated basketball player her entire life. From a young age, basketball has meant everything to her. She even had a dream board in the second grade, aspiring to one day play in the WNBA. She plays with emotion and passion, and whenever she steps out of line, such as when she complains to officials, her dad is always there to keep her in check. Like Steph Curry, she’s always saying the right things, and from a basketball perspective, she’s a great ambassador for the sport. But that was all it took for the WNBA to start baring its fangs at her.

When Candice Wiggins first spoke about the toxicity in the WNBA, many players denied her claims. At the time, no other player supported her, leading me to believe it might have been an isolated incident. However, seeing how the league has treated Caitlin Clark, I now realize that Wiggins’ statements had substantial truth to them. Ever since Caitlin Clark emerged as the biggest star in women’s basketball, WNBA legends have tried to downplay and belittle her achievements.

Diana Taurasi, voted as the GOAT and acknowledged as the best player ever in the WNBA, is a vocal advocate for the league and a champion for fair pay. Widely regarded as the voice of women’s basketball, she holds an influential position. One would expect her to fully support Caitlin, but instead, her words have conveyed a different sentiment. When the announcement that Caitlin would be excluded from Team USA’s roster came, Diana remarked that 20 years old is quite young and making the team is challenging. However, when the interviewer reminded her that she herself had made the roster at that age, Diana responded with a smug expression.

For decades, the WNBA has been the laughing stock of basketball, struggling financially to the point where it only survives through subsidies from the NBA. Without the NBA’s annual support of millions of dollars, the WNBA wouldn’t exist. Yet here is a player capable of doing great things for the league, particularly from a revenue standpoint, and Diana is downplaying her potential. In just the first seven games of the 2024 season, the Indiana Fever, who picked Caitlin Clark, have already seen more attendance than in the past two seasons combined. Just as Michael Jordan revolutionized the NBA, boosting viewership, revenue, and the league overall, Caitlin Clark seems to possess that same potential.

 

Yet, the GOAT of women’s basketball, who should be her biggest supporter, has become her greatest critic. This fan’s comment sums it up perfectly: “The reason I know who Diana Taurasi is is because of Caitlin Clark.” Why is Diana doing this? Well, it’s because she’s jealous. Before even stepping onto a WNBA court, Caitlin signed a Nike shoe deal that has already earned more than what Diana made in her entire career in the WNBA. Despite being the GOAT, Caitlin is already making a greater impact than Diana did in the past two decades.

How does Diana’s attitude relate to Caitlin being physically assaulted in the league? Everyone is influenced by those at the top, and Diana’s views and feelings are clearly trickling down through the WNBA. For example, when she was clearly expressing disdain for Caitlin on TV, WNBA players defended her, saying, “This is Diana Taurasi, cool as hell.” I’m not saying this is all Diana’s fault, but it seems that many other WNBA players are now adopting her stance and trying to downplay Caitlin as well.

The attacks on Caitlin Clark have escalated from verbal to physical. In the WNBA games she has played so far, I don’t think I have ever seen this much abuse directed at a single player in just his or her first few games. Look at some of these hits she takes on her face or head while driving to the basket. Worse, look at this player here and her hostility, clearly cursing at her before knocking her over when she doesn’t even have the ball. It’s only a matter of time before she sustains an injury, which would set the WNBA back to where it was—at the bottom. In all my years of watching the NBA, I’ve never seen this level of animosity directed towards a rookie. For Caitlin, however, it feels personal and seems to be happening every week.

Jealousy, toxicity, call it what you will. The ugliness of the WNBA has surfaced at full force when it comes to Caitlin Clark. We’re about to witness how the story unfolds. Will the WNBA destroy the golden opportunity that has landed in their laps, or will Caitlin Clark overcome the league’s hostility and elevate it just as Jordan did in the NBA in the ’90s? We’re about to find out.