Is the WNBA Sabotaging its Golden Goose? Caitlyn Clark vs. The Established Guard

The WNBA’s Struggles and a Long-Awaited Starr

For what seems like an eternity, the WNBA has faced relentless ridicule. Yeah, I don’t know, I don’t like the WNBA just ’cause it’s not good basketball. Fans mocked their empty championship parades and laughed at their tiny MVP trophies that seemed like dollar store finds. Some even dozed off while sitting courtside at games.

Online, people are sharing jokes like, “I’m so mad I had two WNBA tickets in my car, and today someone broke into my car, and now there are four WNBA tickets.” You get the point. The perception of the WNBA and the reputation of their league has been far from stellar.

The WNBA officials expanded to 10 teams this week, adding franchises in Detroit and Washington, D.C. But before you get too excited about the new additions to the league, remember all of the players are still women.

Honestly, as an avid basketball fan who follows the NBA religiously, the only WNBA trade that has even caught my attention was when Britney Griner was traded for the Merchant of Death. That might seem like a cruel joke to some, but I’m just trying to emphasize the point that the WNBA has been so unpopular and under the radar that even a huge basketball fan like myself rarely hears anything about them.

Caitlyn Clark: A Basketball Prodigy

Recently, however, that has changed. Caitlyn Clark, Caitlyn Clark, Caitlyn Clark from the University of Iowa. From every corner of the basketball world, I’ve been hearing a lot about Caitlyn Clark. Even during the 2024 NBA Finals, Caitlyn Clark’s news continued to make waves.

As a basketball fan, it’s impossible to ignore her. After listening to her interviews, watching her games, and reading the articles, it’s easy to see why this hype surrounds her. Her shooting is out of this world, and every other facet of her game is equally remarkable. People have been calling her the female Steph Curry, while some others have been comparing her to the legendary Pistol Pete Maravich.

So before she even stepped onto a WNBA court, she was already being mentioned alongside some of the greatest of the greats. At the moment, she’s single-handedly transforming women’s basketball. It’s no exaggeration to say that she’s the most monumental women’s basketball player of all time.

In a league that has been losing money every year since its inception, she’s arguably the only person with the ability to attract fans and pack stadiums, driving up revenue. You just really had 17,000 people at the game yesterday, bro. Hey, listen, at 10:30 in the morning! God damn.

Her story at the moment reminds me of Ronda Rousey, the former UFC champion who put women’s MMA on the map when no one else was interested.

A Culture of Resentment: The WNBA vs. Caitlyn Clark

From that perspective, the WNBA should be immensely grateful. They might finally have the opportunity to rise from the shadows and into the spotlight. Yet, they’re attacking her, bullying her, and doing everything they can to corner and eliminate her. Why is that? Why is the WNBA openly attacking their Golden Girl, the one player who has a real chance of transforming their sport forever?

Well, I’ll be looking into all of that in today’s article, peeling back all the layers of controversy and getting straight to the heart of the matter concerning Caitlyn Clark. Up in time, Clark for the win! This is why Caitlyn Clark will go down as one of the best to ever play the game.

To understand why WNBA players are attacking Caitlyn Clark, we must first understand the WNBA’s unique culture. To do that, I’ll share a few stories to paint the picture. Approximately seven years ago, a former WNBA champion and high lottery pick revealed that she was bullied in the league due to her sexual orientation and her popularity.

In her own words, she shared, “I wanted to play two more seasons of WNBA, but the experience didn’t lend itself to my mental state. I didn’t like the culture inside the WNBA, and without revealing too much, it was toxic for me. My spirit was being broken.” Following her statement, many WNBA players denied her claims, insisting that her experience was personal and not reflective of the league as a whole. While their perspective is fair, her account sounds more valid when you add up the other stories.

For instance, when Luka Dončić first entered the league, he attempted to support the WNBA by creating what seemed to be a harmless video. “What’s up, RI? I know you’re having a great season, so just keep pushing. I know you’re going to be the Rookie of the Year, so best of luck to you.” As you can see, the video was completely harmless and, if anything, leaned more towards being positive.

The WNBA could have thanked him or simply stayed silent if they disapproved. Instead, the Minnesota Lynx harshly responded with this tweet: “Says a guy who hasn’t been to a WNBA game all season but got sent a jersey and recorded a scripted video.” The tweet is still there if you want to search for it; it was never deleted, reflecting the prevailing mindset within the NBA.

The next story is all too familiar. The WNBA has been persistently voicing complaints, much like children insisting they deserve higher pay simply because NBA players earn substantial salaries. “We are not asking to get paid what the men get paid; we’re asking to get paid the same percentage of revenue shared.” Okay, you know what I’m saying?

This kind of culture seems to permeate the WNBA—a blend of passive aggressiveness, childishness, and the toxic behavior that Candace Wiggins spoke about. So how does this all relate to Caitlyn Clark?

Clark’s Arrival and The Escalating Attacks

Well, the WNBA revealed its true colors regarding the star from Iowa. K has been a dedicated basketball player her entire life. From a young age, basketball has meant everything to her and more. She even had a dream board in the second grade, aspiring to one day play in the WNBA. She plays with emotion and passion, and whenever she steps out of line, such as when she complains to officials, her dad is always there to keep her in check. Like Steph Curry, she’s always saying the right things, and from a basketball perspective, she’s a great ambassador for the sport.

But that was all it took for the WNBA to start bearing its fangs at her. As I mentioned earlier, when Candace Wiggins first spoke about the toxicity in the WNBA, many players denied her claims at the time. No other player supported her, leading me to believe it might have been an isolated incident. However, seeing how the league has treated Caitlyn Clark, I now realize that Wiggins’ statements had substantial truth to them.

I mean, ever since Caitlyn Clark emerged as the biggest star in women’s basketball, WNBA legends have tried to downplay and belittle her achievements. “I’m taking Paige, next question. So, if you had the number one pick this year, you would take Paige over Caitlin?” “Absolutely.”

Diana Taurasi, voted as the GOAT and acknowledged as the best player ever in the WNBA, is a vocal advocate for the league and a champion for fair pay. Widely regarded as the voice of women’s basketball, she holds an influential position. One would expect her to fully support K, but instead, her words have conveyed a different sentiment.

Like when the announcement that Caitlyn would be excluded from Team USA’s roster, Diana remarked, “20 years old is quite young and making the team is challenging.” However, when the interviewer reminded her that she herself had made the roster at that age, Diana responded with, “Cuz you were young yourself, and tell me if I’m wrong, W, didn’t… weren’t you named to the roster as soon as you graduated, right? You were young, yeah, yeah, after I won three national championships in a row, I was named. Jeez.”

So how did you deal with that? I mean, I know Kaitlin’s on a notice the smug expression on her face. For decades, the WNBA has been the laughingstock of basketball, struggling financially to the point where it only survives through subsidies from the NBA. Without the NBA’s annual support of millions of dollars, the WNBA wouldn’t exist. Yet here is a player capable of doing great things for the league, particularly from a revenue standpoint, and Diana is downplaying her potential.

Jealousy or Strategic Sabotage?

Consider this: in just the first seven games of the 2024 season, the Indiana Fever, who picked Caitlyn Clark, have already seen more attendance than in the past two seasons combined. Just as Michael Jordan revolutionized the NBA, boosting viewership, revenue, and the league overall, Caitlyn Clark seems to possess that same potential.

I mean, even before she was drafted, an arena was changed to accommodate more fans, highlighting the immense promise she holds. Yet the GOAT of women’s basketball, who should be her biggest supporter, has become her greatest critic.

“There are 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, where you look superhuman playing against 18-year-olds, but you’re going to come with some grown women who have been playing professional basketball for a long time.” Diana is trying to lift her 42-year-old self up while bringing 22-year-old Caitlyn down.

This fan’s comments sum it up perfectly: “The reason I know who Diana Taurasi is, is because of Caitlyn Clark.” Why is Diana doing this? Well, it’s because she’s jealous. Before even stepping onto an NBA court, Caitlyn signed a Nike shoe deal that has already earned more than what Diana made in her entire career in the WNBA. Despite being the GOAT, Caitlyn is already making a greater impact than Diana did in the past two decades.

“It’s been 20 years, right? The needle ain’t been moved.” It hasn’t. Now, how does Diana’s attitude relate to Caitlyn being physically assaulted in the league? As we all know, everyone is influenced by those at the top, and Diana’s views and feelings are clearly trickling down through the WNBA.

For example, when she was clearly expressing disdain for Caitlyn on TV, rather than calling out WNBA players, she said, “It’s funny that this is a lot of people’s first time seeing Diana talk.” Yeah, so they’re like, “She’s a hater,” but no, this is D. “DT cool as hell.” I’m not saying this is all Diana’s fault, but it seems that many other WNBA players are now adopting her stance and trying to downplay Caitlyn as well.

“I’m talking about in college, who plays the style that… how K? What is the style?” “Just threes.” “Wow, not what is her style. The style who plays like Caitlyn is what I’m saying.” “From a fee, who do you think plays like her?” “I don’t… haven’t seen a female play like her.” “No, me either. That’s all I’m saying.”

But I think it’s like from a freedom standpoint too. I haven’t seen a player with that type of green light before in college like that. “I’ve had games in college and pro—6, 7, 8 threes made out of 12, 11, 13—not 20.”

See what I mean? Dismissing Caitlyn by saying the only thing she has is a three-point shot, or that she’s only good because she has the greenest of lights, is like saying Steph Curry is only successful for those exact reasons.

What do basketball fans feel about this, you might be asking? Well, here are some sentiments from online: “This is proof that women hold women back, not men. Women’s jealousy towards each other will forever be their downfall.” And my favorite of all: “I don’t think the women of the WNBA understand just yet—Caitlyn Clark doesn’t need the WNBA; the WNBA needs Caitlyn Clark now.”

Physical Attacks and The Threat of Injury

Aside from the Olympic comment, all remarks about Caitlyn were made before she was drafted into the league. Once Caitlyn Clark actually began playing on WNBA courts, the attacks escalated from verbal to physical. In the WNBA games she has played so far, I don’t think I have ever seen this much abuse directed at a single player in just her first few games.

Just look at some of these hits she takes on her face or head while driving to the basket. Perhaps even worse, look at this player here and her hostility, clearly cursing at her before knocking her over when she doesn’t even have the ball. It’s only a matter of time before she sustains an injury, which would set the WNBA back to where it was at the bottom.

In all my years of watching the NBA, I’ve never seen this level of animosity directed towards a rookie. The only instance that comes to mind is Lonzo Ball, who faced some hate because his father kept hyping him up. Even then, the only physical encounter I can remember was when Patrick Beverley knocked him to the ground for his welcome-to-the-NBA moment.

For Caitlyn, however, it feels personal, and it seems to be happening every week.

Will the WNBA Learn From Its Mistakes?

Jealousy, toxicity—call it what you will. The ugliness of the WNBA has surfaced at full force when it comes to Caitlyn Clark. We’re about to witness how the story unfolds. Will the WNBA destroy the golden opportunity that has landed in their laps, or will Caitlyn Clark overcome the league’s hostility and elevate it just as Jordan did in the NBA in the ’90s?

We’re about to find out. In the meantime, did you know that 18 former NBA players are heading to prison? I’m dead serious, and some of them are even NBA champions.