NFL legend and ESPN analyst Shannon Sharpe recently went on his podcast “Nightcap” with co-host Chad Johnson and shared his opinion of Caitlin Clark’s talent level in the WNBA.
Clark was fresh off leading the Indiana Fever to a 92-75 victory over the Seattle Storm. The rookie posted 23 points, nine assists and five rebounds.
During the matchup against the Storm, Clark was caught in a physical moment with Seattle guard Skylar Diggins-Smith. The WNBA veteran gave Clark a slight push from the back after the rookie attempted to hype up her home crowd.
Sharpe believes Clark gets this kind of treatment from opposing players because she’s “cooking.” He believes the proof is in the pudding. After many people said Clark is too weak or just a scorer, she’s made both of those arguments look silly.
The ESPN analyst mentioned he saw the same level of hatred against Larry Bird with the Boston Celtics in the late 1970s.
Sharpe believes Clark is elite, and it seems her talent may be intimidating her opponents.
“Y’all mad ’cause that corn-fed Iowa girl busting y’all a**,” Sharpe said. “Y’all said she’s too weak; she can’t do this. She’s leading the WNBA in assists. She cooking. Let her cook! Let her cook! … Ain’t no hype. Y’all said the same thing about Larry Bird. … She saucy with that thing. Watching her in person twice. I’ve seen her against the Aces and I saw her at the All-Star Game. She is elite.”
Throughout her rookie season with the Fever, Caitlin Clark has averaged 17.8 points and 8.3 assists per game. She’s helped put the Fever in playoff contention. Indiana (13-15) is seventh in the WNBA standings.
If Clark can lift the Fever into the postseason, it will be the team’s first trip to the playoffs since 2016.
Clark hasn’t just shown that she’s an elite rookie, either. She’s established herself as one of the best players in the WNBA, recently competing in the WNBA All-Star Game.
The rookie was a starter in the All-Star Game and led Team WNBA to a 117-109 victory over Team USA, notching four points and 10 assists in the outing.
As Sharpe explained, even at the highest level, competing against veteran superstars, Clark has still shown her ability to produce despite the scrutiny she faces.
