The Feud Between Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark: Unraveling the Tension in the W N B A

Sheryl Swoopes, the six time W N B A. All star and four time champion, seems to be steering clear of the Caitlin Clark fan club. After suddenly shading the Indiana Fever rookie on her Queens of the court podcast, Swoopes ramped up the tension in their ongoing feud during a recent W N B A. Broadcast. The tension was palpable during the Dallas Wings tight 93 to 90 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. When Swoops co commentator mentioned that Clark and Minnesota Lynx forward and NBA Player of the Week, Swoops responded with nearly 50 seconds of stony silence. That silence spoke volumes. Swoopes has already found herself under scrutiny for her apparent disregard of Clark’s contributions to the Fever’s recent success. When praising fever players like Lexi Hall, Kelsey Mitchell, and Aaliyah Boston for their part in the team’s playoff push, she conspicuously left Clark out of the conversation. It’s a puzzling omission, especially given Clark’s impressive performance. Since the Olympic break, Clark has been a powerhouse on the court, averaging 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists per game. Her leadership has been instrumental in securing wins in three out of the last four games for the fever. On top of that, she shattered Ticha Penicheiro’s rookie record for most assists in a season and tied Ryan Howard’s record for most 3 pointers made by a rookie in a single season. The 22 year old phenom also became just the third guard in W N B A History to notch 10 or more double doubles in a season. With such accomplishments, it’s baffling why Swoopes would downplay Clark’s impact. Whatever the reason, it’s clear that Swoopes isn’t ready to give the young star her due credit, and her silence during the broadcast only deepens the mystery behind this budding rivalry.