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Caitlin Clark's impact as a rookie in the WNBA has been evident in a multitude of ways, from her on-court statistics, to the improvement of league television ratings to the Indiana Fever reaching the postseason for the first time in eight years. That doesn't mean Clark hasn't had her share of detractors. Shannon Sharpe had a message for those people this morning on Monday's episode of ESPN's First Take .
Speaking to fellow panelists Stephen A. Smith and Andraya Carter, Sharpe took aim at those who tried to "minimize" what Clark has done. “A lot of this noise came by people that were sitting on this network,” Sharpe said, via Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post .
“They tried to minimize her saying, ‘Well you giving her all this credit, what about the women that came before her?’ What the women came before her, what they did cannot be taken away. That ain’t got nothing to do with Caitlin Clark. But there is a lot of people that tried to make sure they keep Caitlin Clark in her place because what you’re doing if you give her all this shine, you minimize what they done.
You can’t minimize Maya Moore or Candace Parker or Lisa Leslie or Lauren Jackson or Diana Taurasi or any of the other great players." Julia Beverly/Getty Images Sharpe continued, saying that what Clark is doing "doesn't minimize" what those that came before her have done, but contended that the rookie star should have received more credit. “But we should’ve been giving her the credit.
We saw the ratings, we saw the merchandise sales, we saw the attendance, but y’all want to make it about something else," Sharpe said. "..
. Caitlin Clark is box office. She’s doing this.
And instead of giving her credit, y’all trying to make it about, ‘Oh y’all poo-poo’ing the old guard. Y’all never talked about the old guard like this.’ Nah, I ain’t gonna let it slide.
” Clark led the WNBA in assists and three-point field goals made as a rookie, setting a bevy of league records in the process. Her first postseason game did not go well though on Sunday, as Clark shot 4-for-17 in the Fever's 93-69 loss to the Connecticut Sun in Game 1 of their first round series. Related: Shannon Sharpe Warns WNBA Players After Caitlin Clark Snub.
