Analyst disputes notion WNBA players are 'jealous' of Caitlin Clark

The arrival of Caitlin Clark has brought more eyeballs to the WNBA than at any point in the league's history. Be it television ratings, attendance figures or merchandise sales, Clark has elevated the WNBA to a whole new level since she jumped from college to the pros. 

Considering that Clark has been instrumental to the WNBA's resurgence, she has received — justifiably so — a ton of attention from news outlets, talk show hosts, celebrities and even athletes from other sports. 

As Clark continues to bask in the limelight, some have suggested that her peers in the WNBA are "jealous" of her, causing them to unfairly target her with non-basketball plays and unnecessary physicality.

Former WNBA All-Star Rebecca Lobo disagrees with that theory. 

"It's a false narrative, and I don't think there is any jealousy or pettiness that is fueling dirty play," Lobo told "NBA Today" on ESPN. "Now, is the attention she's getting on the defensive end unprecedented for a rookie? It absolutely is. We have never seen a rookie get picked up 94 feet from the basket when she doesn't have the ball in her hand. Are veterans being physical with her? They are, but I have not seen anything excessive or anything dirty until that Chennedy Carter hit, and that was one of the things that was really unfortunate about it to me. Chennedy gave a previously toothless argument some fangs."

To Clark's credit, she has conceded that players in the WNBA will continue to target her and it's incumbent upon her to not retaliate and just focus on basketball. 

"I think at this point, I know I'm gonna take a couple hard shots a game, and that's what it is," she said after the controversial Carter incident. 

Even as some of Clark's peers unfairly target her, many are likely grateful for her joining the WNBA. If not for Clark's arrival, the WNBA may not have started using chartered flights with the 2024-25 season. At least LeBron James credits her for the sea change.