According to the legendary coach of the University of Connecticut’s women’s basketball team, Geno Auriemma, recent college graduate and WNBA rookie superstar Caitlin Clark is under attack from her enemies in the league, with jealous players targeting her as she becomes a much more successful and well-known name in the sport.
Auriemma’s comments on the matter came after the now-viral and infamous incident in which Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter attacked Indiana’s Caitlin Clark, shoulder-checking her from behind without cause and knocking her to the ground. After the foul, which was later upgraded because of how indefensible it was, Reese was fined for violating the league’s media policy with her defense of Carter despite not being made available to media.
Speaking about Clark’s huge success in the sport and how she. like other rookies, faces hardships in that respect, Auriemma argued that Clark is also being singled out for attacks in something that is much more. than just the usual sort of hazing experienced by newcomers in things, particularly hyper-successful newcomers like Clark.
Making that point, Auriemma said, “Every rookie has to go through the growing pains of being a professional basketball player. And the more attention you get, and today’s world, attention is No. 1, and attention brings money. So is she facing the rookie challenge, the rookie hardships that are inherent with being a rookie? Yes. She’s also being targeted,”
Continuing, she argued that the recent attack on Clark by Carter is wholly different from past hazing of successful newcomers, arguing, “I don’t remember when (Michael) Jordan came into the league guys looking to go out and beat him up. I don’t remember when (Larry) Bird and Magic (Jonhson) came in the league and elevated the NBA.”
Next, Auriemma reiterated that the attacks on Clark seem different, saying, “I don’t remember them getting targeted and getting beat up just because of who they were and the attention they were getting. And I’ve never heard one of them say, ‘Hey, why didn’t you do this when we were playing?’ Because nobody felt like it. It wasn’t the time.”
She then added, speaking about the attacks on Clark, “Appreciate the fact that now’s the time. I get it. 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?”
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Watch the dirty hit here:
Others claim that Clark is not being targeted, however. For example, UConn and WNBA player and ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said, “I don’t think there’s any jealousy or pettiness that is fueling dirty play.” She continued, “Now, is the attention she’s getting on the defensive end unprecedented for a rookie? It absolutely is. We have never before seen a rookie picked up 94 feet from the basket when she doesn’t have the ball in her hands. We’ve never seen a rookie being face-guarded 35 feet from the basket when she’s on the weak side of the floor.”
She then admitted that the Chennedy Carter hit was dirty and proved some of the point about the attacks on Clark, saying, “Are veterans being physical with her? They are. But I have not seen anything excessive or anything dirty until that Chennedy Carter hit. … Chennedy gave a previously toothless argument some fangs.”
Featured image credit: By John Mac – https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmac612/53558910406/, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=145963861