WNBA Legend Calls Out ESPN Over Controversial Caitlin Clark Decision

Yet despite all of that, ESPN didn’t deem her worthy of being ranked among the top five women’s college basketball players of all time for what many fans believe is a rather ridiculous reason.

“In the open, we said, ‘What makes a top-five player? Winning,’” ESPN’s Ari Chambers said. “The only thing, the only strike against Caitlin Clark, is that she has not won a National Championship. And that is the only thing that you can put against her because the way that she has dominated the record books when she was at Iowa was something you could put duplicate. … But how can you be a top-five player if you have not won a title?”

As frustrated as fans were by ESPN’s exclusion of Clark on its list, one WNBA legend was equally upset.

During a recent episode of the “A Touch More” podcast, 13-time All-Star and four-time WNBA champion Sue Bird threw some shade at ESPN for its questionable decision.

“Listen, I think the way that I'm looking at this — no, Caitlin didn't win (a title); it's why she's not No. 1 (on the list),” Bird said. “I think going to the national championship game two years in a row, basically playing big in every big game, hitting every big shot in every big moment — there's something to that clearly.

“[She’s] obviously special, definitely one of the greatest of all time. And I think when I really look at lists like this, it's kind of like, do you go based on just resumé, or do you based on if we had a draft, who would you take? And there's no way you're not taking Caitlin Clark in the top five. And to me, there's no way you're not taking her in the top three.”

Though Clark didn’t win a national championship in college, she did play in back-to-back national title games.

In 2024, Clark and the Hawkeyes fell to undefeated South Carolina, and the year prior they lest to a 34-2 LSU team, led by Chicago Sky star Angel Reese.