Are Caitlin Clark’s fellow WNBA players unfairly targeting the star rookie, or is it just some necessary adversity directed towards one of the most hyped young players in the league’s history?
One of the most respected voices in women’s college basketball and the sport as a whole, longtime UConn head coach Geno Auremmia, is squarely in the former camp.
“Is she facing the rookie challenge, the rookie hardships that are inherent with being a rookie? Yes,” Auriemma told reporters Tuesday, via ESPN. “She’s also being targeted.”
The debate over how Clark’s opponents are treating her cranked up after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter body-checked Clark to the ground late in the Indiana Fever’s 71-70 win over the Sky on Saturday, as teammates including Clark’s former college rival Angel Reese appeared to applaud from Chicago’s bench.
Some, including FS1’s Colin Cowherd and Chris Broussard and longtime NBA player Jamal Crawford, believe Clark is just going through necessary adversity that someone heralded as a star often endures, such as NBA legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the early portions of their careers.
Auriemma addressed that line of thinking, saying that while he understands the argument, he believes the treatment of Clark has crossed a line.
“I don’t remember when Jordan came into the [NBA], guys looking to go out and beat him up,” Auriemma said. “I don’t remember when [Larry] Bird and Magic [Johnson] came in the league and elevated the NBA, them getting targeted and getting beat up just because of who they were and the attention they were getting.
“Appreciate the fact that now’s the time [for the WNBA]. I get it. It’s long overdue. Why are you blaming that kid? It’s not her fault, because you would trade places with her in a minute, but you are not there. You’re not her. So, you’re [complaining] that she’s getting what she’s getting.”
Carter was given a foul on her play Saturday, which was retroactively upgraded to a Flagrant 1 by the league office. The Sky were also fined for breaking WNBA media compliance policy after Carter refused to answer questions about Clark postgame, leading to Sky coach Teresa Witherspoon ending media availability early. Witherspoon later said in a statement Carter’s foul against Clark was “not appropriate.”
However, after several days of widespread debate over Carter’s actions, the 25-year-old guard was harassed outside the Sky’s team hotel in Washington D.C. (where Chicago is set to face the Washington Mystics on Thursday) by a man with a camera phone, according to several of her teammates including Reese on social media. Team security reportedly deescelated the incident and escorted the man away, and police were not called.
Auremmia’s Huskies will again be favored to win their 12th national title in his tenure there next season, as they once again figure to feature a loaded team led by returning star Paige Bueckers. Their season ended in the Final Four last year at the hands of an Iowa team led by none other than Clark, who went on to lose to South Carolina in the national championship game.
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UConn Huskies
Caitlin Clark
Chicago Sky
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