'Taken Out of Context': WNBA Legend Clears the Air on Caitlin Clark Comments

Jackson was referencing her previous statement about Clark, where she heaped praise on the reigning WNBA Rookie of the Year. According to Jackson, she’s been left utterly impressed by how Clark is able to go out there and perform despite having “the pressure of the world on her shoulders.”  

“I’m a fan,” Jackson said in a June interview. “Man, I would have loved to have played with her, you know, as a point guard with that much vision and awareness.

“Like, I’ve just never seen anything like it.”

Jackson Gives Bird Her Flowers

As Jackson revealed in her recent appearance on Bird’s podcast, she feels that her strong take on Clark was taken out of context. This is exactly why she had to tell Bird that she’s still No. 1 in her book.

“You are completely different players to her,” Jackson told Bird. "Also, too, she's got a lot of development and growth to come. But I feel like you are the consummate professional.

“I think the way you are able to bring a team together and make a team hum… You’re the player that I actually got to play with and I would wish I could play with.”

Bird made it clear, though, that she was not one of the people who misinterpreted Jackson’s previous comments.

“I knew exactly what you meant when you did that video,” Bird responded. “I knew exactly what was happening.”

Bird and Jackson go way back. These two were the Storm’s back-to-back first overall picks in 2001 and 2002. Jackson, a seven-time All-Star and a three-time WNBA scoring champion, retired in 2012 after a decorated 12-year career, which she all spent in Seattle alongside Bird.

Together, Jackson and Bird won two championships, making them one of the most dominant duos in the history of the game.