Caitlin Clark hate? Why WNBA stars are pushing back on Charles Barkley's 'petty' accusations

Brendan OSullivan

•
Caitlin Clark hate? Why WNBA stars are pushing back on Charles Barkley's 'petty' accusations image

Caitlin Clark is the new face of the WNBA, whether she's scoring 20-plus points or turning the ball over 10 times.

No matter how she performs on the court, the Indiana Fever rookie is getting fans to pack arenas and tune into WNBA broadcasts. Call it the Caitlin Clark effect.

Yet while new fans are flocking to the WNBA, the league debuted in 1997. A plethora of women have starred in the WNBA in its 25-plus years of pre-Clark existence.

The attention heaped upon Clark compared to the rest of the league already has led to some tension. But are the phenom's fellow WNBA players really hating on her, as Charles Barkley implied Wednesday? Sporting News is breaking down the latest comments on Clark and what to make of the situation.

MORE: How many points does Caitlin Clark have this season?

What Diana Taurasi, WNBA stars say about Caitlin Clark

Before Clark even heard her name called at the 2024 WNBA Draft, Diana Taurasi had choice words for the league's latest No. 1 pick.

Taurasi, a former UConn standout, was the No. 1 pick in the 2004 WNBA Draft. The 41-year-old Mercury guard said she would rather have current UConn star Paige Bueckers over Iowa's Clark during the Final Four matchup between the Huskies and Hawkeyes.

One day later, Taurasi gave a warning to Clark and her fellow rookies.

"Reality is coming," she said. "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 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come with some grown women who’ve been playing professional basketball for a long time."

Clark never commented on Taurasi's statements. The two will matchup for the first time on June 30, when the Mercury host the Fever in Phoenix. Yet even without Clark fanning the flames, Taurasi's comments received ample attention across social and news media.

Perhaps the veteran's perceived rivalry with the rookie played into Barkley's recent comments on Clark's place in the league. The NBA great called out "petty" critics of Clark and the attention she is bringing to the league, and he seemed to imply the hate is coming from inside the WNBA.

MORE: Explaining Caitlin Clark $28 million Nike shoe deal

WNBA stars pushed back on Barkley's claims.

Chiney Ogwumike posted a lengthy thread on X detailing her thoughts on Barkley's comments, Clark's place in the league and the current state of the WNBA.

"Every WNBA player I know supports this rookie class and are grateful for the spotlight & money that Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and co. are bringing to the W!" she wrote.

She added later in the thread: "The W is rooting for Caitlin and the rising generation bc when they win… we win! Rising tide lifts all boats."

Jonquel Jones of the New York Liberty isn't aware of any Clark hate, as she said on X.

Aces star A'ja Wilson and head coach Becky Hammon laughed at the idea that people around the W hate Clark.

A few more players, including Dearica Hamby, Michaela Onyenwere and Sydney Colson, responded to Barkley via X.

Before Barkley's comments, Angel Reese — the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and a known rival of Clark — did ask for more attention for the Chicago Sky and other WNBA teams, among other requests.

Get Nika her visa NOW, charter flights are HERE, give every team the same PUBLICITY cause it ain’t just one team, online bullying ain’t it AT ALL, and oh the CHICAGO SKY ARE HERE & ON THE RISE! 😇

— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) May 21, 2024

Charles Barkley calls out 'petty' criticism of Caitlin Clark

Barkley, speaking on TNT ahead of Wednesday's Game 1 of the NBA Western Conference Finals, seemingly targeted WNBA players for their treatment of Clark.

He mentioned LeBron James, who had defended Clark on his "Mind The Game" podcast with JJ Redick. The Lakers star empathized with Clark because Bronny James also receives a lot of public hate.

MORE: Will Caitlin Clark be an All-Star in her rookie season?

"There's a very small number of men and women that actually get to live out their dream of playing the professional sport, and we have grown a— men and women out here doing whatever they can to make sure that doesn’t happen," James said.

Barkley called James "100% right on these girls hating on Caitlin Clark," adding: "What she's accomplished, give her her flowers... Caitlin Clark, thank you for bring all that money and shine to the WNBA."

His comments brought swift responses from WNBA players.

'The View' host points to Caitlin Clark's 'white privilege'

For the most part, criticism of Clark has remained in the sports arena. But Sunny Hostin of "The View" called out Clark's "privilege" for a wider audience Wednesday on the talk show, the same day Barkley made his comments.

Clark benefits from "pretty privilege" and "white privilege," Hostin said.

"Now, Caitlin Clark is bringing this money, these sponsorships, we hope, into the league and other players will benefit from it," Hostin said. "But I do think that she is more relatable to more people because she’s white, because she’s attractive, and unfortunately, there still is that stigma against the LGBTQ+ community."

MORE: When is Caitlin Clark's next game?

The discussion on "The View" came in response to similar comments from Jemele Hill. The former ESPN host said race and sexuality played a role in Clark's rise to popularity, as

"While so many people are happy for Caitlin’s success — including the players; this has had such an enormous impact on the game — there is a part of it that is a little problematic because of what it says about the worth and the marketability of the players who are already there," Hill said on her podcast.

Whoopi Goldberg came to Clark's defense, citing her terrific track record on the court.

"To have her reduced that way bothered me a lot because this is her record," Goldberg said. "Unless you can show me who’s got a better record than this, this is why she’s getting the attention she’s getting, because she’s a damn good player and doesn’t matter whether she’s straight or gay, ain’t nobody crying when she’s making those balls."

Brendan OSullivan

Brendan OSullivan Photo

Brendan O'Sullivan is an editorial intern for Sporting News, joining in 2024. He previously worked at Newsday on Long Island, New York after graduating from Quinnipiac University.