NFL legend urges Caitlin Clark to leave WNBA

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

NFL legend urges Caitlin Clark to leave WNBA: 'She is not being treated with any sort of respect'

By Ernesto Cova | Last updated Jun 25, 2026 5:15 PM ET

From the moment she set foot on a WNBA hardwood, Caitlin Clark has been a polarizing figure.

Experts and fans anointed the Indiana Fever point guard as the new face of women's basketball, and she seemed poised to be that.

The Caitlin Clark effect revolutionized the league, bringing more eyeballs than ever before. And with it, more money.

Nevertheless, she doesn't always seem to get her peers' respect. The league hasn't necessarily promoted her, the referees don't give her any calls and the overall experience has been odd.

That's why, after a couple of scuffles with the Phoenix Mercury and shots at the referees, former NFL MVP Boomer Esiason urged Clark to just take her talents overseas.

Boomer Esiason urges Caitlin Clark to leave the WNBA

“If I were Caitlin Clark, I would seriously consider going to play overseas somewhere and get royal treatment,” Esiason said. “And get real money.”

"If I were Caitlin Clark, I would seriously consider going to play overseas somewhere and get the royal treatment…she's a straight white basketball player. And she is not being treated with any sort of respect" – Boomer Esiason pic.twitter.com/zeFRdOMLVn
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) June 25, 2026

Esiason added that it wasn't even about money, but rather, who she is:

“I know Caitlin makes a ton of money off the court in terms of endorsements, and rightfully so,” he continued. “But I think there is a petty jealousy, and she’s a straight white basketball player … she is not being treated with any sort of respect whatsoever.”

Perhaps Clark has rubbed her opposition the wrong way, or maybe there is, in fact, a bit of jealousy for all of the attention and praise she's gotten.

Whatever the case, the fact of the matter is that the WNBA might need Clark more than Clark needs the WNBA.

WNBA players have made more money playing overseas anyway, and Clark's presence guarantees eyeballs and money for the league, not necessarily the other way around.

Still, Clark is a fierce competitor, and it's unlikely she would consider taking her talents overseas to avoid this kind of harsh treatment.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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