(LibertySociety.com) – Since joining the WNBA, Caitlin Clark has sparked more media reporting on women’s professional basketball than ever before. Several players have turned their noses up at Clark despite bringing in millions of viewers.
New data from one sports network showed that Clark is currently the fourth most popular athlete in the United States. Clark recently said that the media was responsible for stirring up controversy. However, one WNBA icon believes she was “built for trying to be a bully.” During an episode of Gil’s Arena, former NBA player Gilbert Arena was interviewing WNBA MVP Sheryl Swoopes when she made the accusation.
Swoopes and Arenas were discussing the moment when Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese flagrantly fouled Clark during a recent game, knocking her in the head instead of slapping the basketball. Reese was penalized for the foul, which was one of five for her in the game. Arenas claimed that Reese was conditioned to behave like a bully and that Clark was trained to be a “flopper.” Swoopes disagreed, arguing that Clark was the bully. The pair continued to discuss the playing styles of both women. Arena insisted that Clark convinces the referees of her fouls by flopping when she makes contact with another player and that people do not feel sorry for Reese for being a bully.
Swoopes said that she believed the foul was exaggerated in hopes of a viral moment, and that the referee made the right call by upgrading the foul. She claimed that viewers and media outlets frame it as an assault when Clark is fouled, but that those types of interactions were just part of the game. However, other flagrant fouls against Clark have faced less scrutiny by the league. One media outlet argued that the WNBA should have done more to protect her when she first started, which could have stopped other players from pushing the limits.
Copyright 2024, LibertySociety.com
