Caitlin Clark has been accused of “talking s***” to wind up opposition players in the WNBA. The basketball superstar is claimed to have caused on-court arguments with her trash-talking.
Clark was heavily targeted by opposition players during her first season in the WNBA, which she finished by winning the Rookie of the Year. Those tussles were in part due to her excellent performances, but it has been suggested that some stars have also been ruffled by the 22-year-old’s trash-talking.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma says Clark is subtle about what she says on court, but it is effective in getting under the skin of her rivals.
“When people talk about in the WNBA, ‘Why are these people beating up Caitlin Clark?,’ it’s because she talks a lot of s*** on the court,” Auriemma explained on the Make A Difference podcast.
“That’s what makes her good. So she’s not like this angel walking out there and everybody else is beating her up.
“No, she’s got a lot to say. She’s a lot like Paige [Bueckers], those guys have a lot to say, they just do it subtly, and they’re tough. We need more of that, and we need more great games, better games, and some rules modifications.”
Clark, who starred for Indiana Fever last year, has had other coaches comment on her dialogue during matches. Las Vegas Aces’ Becky Hammon recently commented that “no one talks more crap than Caitlin”.
One player with first-hand knowledge of playing against Clark is Angel Reese. The Chicago Sky star shot to fame in 2022 while the duo were still playing in the NCAA women’s basketball league.
Reese’s LSU team got the better of Clark’s Iowa in the title match. In a now iconic photo, Reese shows the crowd her championship ring finger while a disappointed Clark watches on in the foreground.
Another fan of trash-talking, Reese insists it is good for women’s basketball. She points out that it is a standard tactic used in men’s sports.
“My life literally just changed from that game. It’s just a full-circle moment of how women are viewed when it comes to trash-talking. It’s OK in men’s sports,” the 22-year-old recently said.
“We’re going to normalise that in women’s sports as well. So it’s just super-competitive. I think we’re two great competitors.”
Meanwhile, Clark will have a new head coach next season with Stephanie White appointed by Fever. She has joined after leaving Connecticut Sun.
