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Caitlin Clark is at the center of debates about how her star power impacts fellow WNBA players again.
The Fever rookie had a brief run-in with Storm veteran Skylar Diggins-Smith on the court after Indiana beat Seattle 92-75 on Sunday.
Clark — who recorded nine assists to break the WNBA record for total assists by a rookie with 225 — circled the court while waving her arm as the Indiana crowd cheered, when she collided with Diggins-Smith, who was walking over to the Seattle bench.
ESPN personality Shannon Sharpe, who previously defended Clark when she got similar attention in June, described it as a moment of jealousy on his and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson’s “Night Cap” podcast on Sunday.
“They gotta stop this foolishness,” Sharpe said after watching a replay video of 22-year-old Clark and Diggins-Smith, 34.
“Ya’ll see her speed up… Caitlin Clark is getting the crowd going and y’all see Skylar Diggins speed up to make contact with her. Stop this!
“Y’all [are] mad because that corn fed Iowa girl [is] busting your ass. Y’all said she’s too weak. ‘She can’t do this.’ She’s leading the WNBA in assists. She’s cooking. Let her cook! Let her cook!” Sharpe yelled repeatedly.
Clark was seen hyping up the Fever’s home crowd after Seattle head coach Noelle Quinn seemed upset with Indiana head coach Christie Sides during an animated conversation in the final seconds of the game.
Diggins-Smith was also seen exchanging words with Sides, but it’s unclear what exactly was said.
Quinn said the two were having a spirited conversation when she addressed it her postgame press conference.
Veteran Seattle guard Jewell Loyd bypassed a question about Clark during her postgame press conference with Diggins-Smith.
“I’m gonna talk about our rookies,” Loyd said before complimenting Nika Muhl, Seattle’s second-round pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and Jordan Horston, who was selected by the Storm with the ninth overall pick in the 2023 draft.
“Nika’s been great. She’s been awesome, putting her work in. I think our Jordan has been phenomeal too [in] the second year of her growth,” Loyd said.
“Our focus is on our team and what we need to do as a unity to be better. So I feel like what this group has in the locker room has made us better and that’s the biggest importance for us.”
After Sunday’s game, the X account @WNBAStormChaser wrote, “I asked Jewell Loyd what growth she’s seen from Caitlin Clark from the beginning of the season until now. She had no interest in talking about that and praised Nika Mühl and Jordan Horston instead.”
Clark, who finished with 23 points and five rebounds, received a technical foul in the third quarter when she punched the backboard base of a basketball hoop in frustration.
“I got a technical for basically being mad at myself,” Clark told reporters after the game. “I missed a three and went and hit the backboard and (the referee) told me it was ‘disrespectful to the game of basketball.’”
Clark added that that referee fired her up “to continue to play a lot harder,” and thanked him.
Clark has been at the center of attention — and heated debates about how her star power has impacted the WNBA and its players — since Indiana selected the Iowa product with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft.
In June, NBA commissioner Adam Silver discussed Clark being in the spotlight, and said although she needs to earn her place in the league, she should also be allowed to evolve as a player.
“I think Caitlin [Clark] knows, she’s ultimately got to prove it on the floor, and you can’t anoint stars in this league,” Silver said during an appearance on ESPN’s pre-game show, “NBA Countdown,” before the Celtics’ Game 3 win over the Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
“.. I believe she’s going to deliver. She seems to have the character and the drive and the will and the talent. But let her evolve as a player. I want to take the pressure off her, not put more pressure on her.”
Clark became a household name at Iowa during her senior year with her shooting prowess and elite passing — and she led the Hawkeyes to the NCAA championship game in back-to-back seasons in 2023 and 2024.
The Hawkeyes came up short to LSU and South Carolina, respectively.
Clark’s popularity played a major role in the dominance of women’s college basketball, and her transition to the WNBA has helped increase the league’s revenue and attendance.
The Indiana Fever have also seen massive growth across social media, revenue and attendance since drafting Clark.
The Gatorade athlete has a (NIL) valuation of $3.4 million and endorsement deals with Wilson and State Farm, among many other brands.
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