Caitlin Clark learning with fame, fortune comes resentment
By Pat Harty
IOWA CITY, Iowa – I haven’t written much about Caitlin Clark lately, because frankly, there are enough people writing about the much-anticipated start to her WNBA career.
But after watching Clark and the Indiana Fever hang on to defeat the Chicago Sky 71-70 on Saturday, and after watching Clark take a cheap shot from Chicago guard Chennedy Carter, I couldn’t resist writing about the way in which Clark is being treated on the court by opposing players, because while it makes sense in some ways, it also seems counter-productive.
As the No. 1 pick coming out of the University of Iowa, it was reasonable to assume that Clark would be targeted on defense, and would face different levels of physicality, and even some rough play as she transitions into the league.
Rough play is one thing, but what Carter did by bumping Clark to the ground was a cheap shot.
Carter was called for an away-from-the-play foul, but she wasn’t called for a flagrant foul, although, it was upgraded to a flagrant foul a day later.
If Draymond Green had bumped an opposing NBA player the way in which Carter bumped Clark, he probably would have been ejected from the game, and maybe even suspended.
“That’s just not a basketball play,” Clark said of the Carter bump.
Clark and Carter had been chirping back and forth, or so it seemed, and that’s fine because it’s part of the game, and Clark can chirp with the best of them.
But there is no place in the WNBA for cheap shots.
Some have suggested that Clark flopped on the play. And maybe there is some truth to that as she tried to sell the cheap shot.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that it was a cheap shot.
Carter then refused to talk about Clark in the post-game press conferences. The media kept pushing the subject, causing somebody in the background to say, “that’s enough.”
Well, no, it wasn’t enough.
Carter certainly had the right to not answer questions about Clark, but the media also had the right to keep asking.
Clark had more to say about it than Carter.
“I wasn’t expecting that,” Clark said of the bump from Carter. “But I think just respond, come down and let your play do the talking. It is what it us. It’s a physical game. Go make the free throw and execute on offense and that’s kind of what we did.
“But it is what it is.”
What it seems is that some WNBA players resent Caitlin Clark for what she has become as a cultural phenomenon and sport icon.
There has never been another player like Caitlin Clark, on or off the court, and with that comes the heavy burden of trying to live up to the enormous hype, and with having to withstand the resentment and jealousy that comes with it.
This isn’t to suggest Carter is jealous of Clark, but it sure seems that way.
Or maybe Carter was trying to send Clark a rookie message, or trying to get Clark rattled in the heat of the moment.
Okay. Fine.
That goes with the territory.
But there are ways to rattle an opponent without having to take a cheap shot.
It makes sense that opposing players would try to get under Clark’s skin because Clark is highly emotional on the court, sometimes, too emotional.
However, what doesn’t make sense is the resentment that some WNBA players seem to have for Clark, even though she is helping the WNBA to evolve, and to achieve new financial successes that seemed beyond reach before she arrived.
Clark is helping to break down financial barriers that seemed unbreakable.
So, why bite the hand that feeds you?
Just try to beat it.
The league already has sent Clark a message with the Fever just 2-8 at this point.
Clark also leads the league in turnovers per game (5.7) and technical fouls (three), but she is also on pace to become the first rookie ever to average at least 15 points, five rebounds and five assists per game.
She clearly has what it takes to be a force in the WNBA if she can stay healthy.
The 6-foot Clark will never be what she was for Iowa where she recorded multiple 30-point triple-doubles, and some 40-point ones on the way to becoming the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer, but she doesn’t have to be that in the WNBA.
As much as Clark’s impact is felt on the court, she wields more power and influence off it with her ability to sell tickets and to attract television viewership.
No other WNBA player has come close to having Clark’s drawing power and influence, and that is probably the cause of some of the resentment.
Clark is fortunate to have grown up in the age of social media because it has helped to push her brand to heights that have never been reached before from an endorsement standpoint.
Caitlin Clark shouldn’t be pampered or protected on the court, but she also shouldn’t be punished for being Caitlin Clark.
She is helping to lift the WNBA to a level of popularity that seemed unreachable, even with eight losses in her first 10 games.
Everyone should be happy.