Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) reacts as she walks off the floor during the second half of a basketball game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James calls out Caitlin Clark haters amid star’s career performance vs. Sky

By Jeff Smith | Last updated Aug 31, 2024 9:17 AM ET

The Caitlin Clark critics may never change their tune, but the Indiana Fever rookie makes it tough for doubters to say much as her first season in the WNBA rolls on.

Clark's latest masterpiece came on Friday night against fellow rookie Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky. The 22-year-old guard had the best scoring night of her young career, tallying 31 points with five three-pointers, 12 assists and four rebounds to lead Indiana to a 100-81 road victory.

Her stellar performance brought plenty of praise across social media from fellow athletes and various stars, including arguably the greatest to ever play the game, LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers star took to X to call out Clark's haters with a simple four-word message.

CAITLIN CLARK!!!!! HI HATERS
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 31, 2024

This comment from James, who's dealt with plenty of head-scratching criticism throughout his NBA career, is the highest praise any basketball player can receive.

Clark has led the Fever to a 16-16 mark, a vast improvement for a team that went 13-27 last season. She's gone from being a front-runner for the WNBA Rookie of the Year Award to becoming a name deserving of serious consideration for MVP honors. Through 32 games, Clark is averaging 18.4 points, 8.3 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game.

While she may not win the league MVP Award this season, Clark has put the WNBA on notice that she's on the fast track to becoming a top candidate year in and year out going forward.

Jeff Smith

Jeff Smith has extensive experience as a sports writer and editor, including stops at ESPN, FOX Sports, CBS Sports, USA TODAY SMG, and Heavy. Jeff's passion for sports content starts and finishes with writing and he's grateful to be able to work in that field on a daily basis.

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