On Sunday, the South Carolina women’s basketball team defeated Iowa to secure their third national championship in Dawn Staley’s tenure as head coach. In the aftermath, there was a massive outpouring of support. Of course, the Gamecocks deserved it for their victory amid an undefeated (38-0) season. However, their reception also reflected their status as a symbol of women’s empowerment, particularly in the sports world.
Unfortunately, many basketball fans have taken it upon themselves to make Caitlin Clark a villain. At the collegiate level, Clark has been the face of women’s basketball for the past two seasons.
LeBron James, Dawn Staley Speak Out About Future No. 1 Pick
On the positive side, she’s earned comparisons to Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry.
Averaging 28.4 points per game for her career, she has a penchant for 3-point shooting and high-scoring games. Indeed, her style and production are so magnetic that she’s currently the biggest individual needle-mover in women’s basketball. As a result, much of sports coverage is centered on her.
The negative side of Clark’s popularity is the pushback against her critical acclaim.
WNBA pros —past and present —have taken offense to the idea that she could be the greatest women’s college basketball player of all-time. They’ve even gone so far as to downplay her breaking the NCAA’s all-time scoring record.
Fans —primarily those of South Carolina and LSU —have taken those discussions to a different level, often tying race into the equation. These gripes have a historical basis and biased media coverage is still present today. However, when considering the popularity of players like JuJu Watkins, it’s fair to question if those arguments are always being made in good faith.
Not only is this a toxic atmosphere, it undermines the very essence of women’s empowerment. Fans, pros, and everyone in between should be celebrating her generational talent. Instead, she’s either being torn down or thrown into divisive conversations.
For that reason, the words of Staley and LeBron James carry more weight than usual.
Haters and GOATs
James took to Twitter to deliver a cut-and-dry message, saying “if you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game, you’re just a flat out hater!”
Staley, during a poignant postgame speech, thanked Clark. She also gave the 22-year-old her flowers, affirming her as one of her sport’s greatest players already.
“I wanna personally thank Caitlin Clark for lifting up our sport, she carried a heavy load,” Staley says. “When she’s the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft, she’s gonna lift that league up as well. So, Caitlin, if you’re out there you are one of the GOATs.”
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