Caitlin Clark and Sue Bird (Photos via Getty Images and @SarahSpain/X)
WNBA legend Sue Bird has discussed the perceived hate Caitlin Clark has had to deal with ahead of the rookie’s first All-Star Game appearance.
Clark, an All-Star in her first season, didn’t seem to receive a warm welcome after the Indiana Fever made her the No. 1 overall pick in April. However, Bird thinks most people misinterpreted the message they got from the league’s veterans.
The former Seattle Storm star was a guest on the new ‘Good Game with Sarah Spain’
podcast this week and insisted that players were only showing their competitive side
“Caitlin will go down as, whatever you want to call it, the one who made the change,
this pivotal person,” Bird said .
“She will, 100 percent. But in other leagues .. it was never like when LeBron (James)
came, ‘Oh, Michael Jordan didn’t matter.’ And for some reason that happened, and it
caused this whole thing. When the reality was, no player felt that way toward Caitlin,
everybody was very welcoming and inviting, and they mistook competitive talk for hate,
with hating on somebody.
“There is a thin line there, and some people do both, but | think the majority of WNBA
players, with their play, with their talk, it was just competition.”
Things Have Calmed Down Around Caitlin Clark
The storm around Caitlin Clark seems to have abated in recent times. She isn’t making
the news for receiving hard fouls or some veteran taking a shot at her. Most of the
chatter pertains to the Rookie of the Year race with her rival Angel Reese.
The former lowa guard heads into the All-Star and Olympic break, averaging 17.1
points, 8.2 assists, and 5.8 rebounds again, with the Fever also playing a lot better
lately.
She also just broke the WNBA’s record for the most assists in a single game with 19.
Fans are looking forward to seeing how she handles her first All-Star appearance.
DIANA TAURASI IMPRESSED BY CAITLIN CLARK, ISSUES INTENSE MESSAGE TO TEAM USA IN HUDDLE
Team USA exposed by WNBA All-Stars with Olympics coming soon
Caitlin Clark was not invited to the Olympic basketball team, but beat them in the | All-Star GameAP / X
USA Basketball and WNBA veteran Diana Taurasi could not hide her disgust after | Team USA was humbled by Caitlin Clark and the WNBA All-Star Team. Her intense | message in the huddle after the WNBA All-Star Game left no doubt how much | the unacceptable loss stung to the 42-year-old | Playing in her home arena in Phoenix, Taurasi hit the first shot of the All-Star Game, but it was only downhill from there. Clark finished with 10 assists, Angel Reese secured a double-double and Arike Ogunbowale earned the MVP award with 34 points, all inthe second half
Diana Taurasi sends harsh message to Team USA
Clark and the WNBA All-Stars had the time of their lives in the 117-109 win, while Team USA had to catch a flight to Europe for the 2024 Paris Olympics straight after the game Taurasi and the rest of the team left with a bitter taste in their mouths. Team USA isn’t used to losing to anyone
“This sh*t fing sucks,” she told the Americans in a harsh tone in the postgame huddle. “It’s a good reminder, we gotta come to play no matter who we are.”
Caitlin Clark vs Diana Taurasi
The 5-time gold medalist made prickly comments toward Clark when she entered the WNBA and then again when Clark did not receive an invitation to the Olympic team. She said the rookie still needed to pay her dues and prove herself
They appeared to be on good terms at the beginning of the Indiana Fever vs Phoenix ~~
Mercury game earlier this month, but that was before Clark and the Fever ran them out
of their own gym. Clark is now 3-0 against Taurasi head-to-head, including two wins in
Phoenix
Clark’s Olympic revenge tour
Phoenix’s “GOAT” isn’t alone in getting swept aside during Caitlin Clark’s “revenge
tour.” The No. 1 draft pick is also now 2-0 against Cheryl Reeve, the head coach of
Team USA who did not give her a ticket to Paris, and fans have taken notice.
Taurasi is without a doubt one of the greatest competitors that women’s basketball has ever seen. Her irritation, it seems, is that she finally found a young player who can
match her desire to be great.