Charles Barkley isn’t holding back in his criticism of how the WNBA and those around the league have treated Caitlin Clark during her rookie season. Clark, who gained national attention as a star at Iowa and now with the Indiana Fever, has become the face of women’s basketball, but Barkley believes the league has failed to fully capitalize on her rising fame.
On The Ringer’s “Bill Simmons Podcast,” Barkley expressed his frustration, stating, “These ladies, and I am a WNBA fan, they could not have messed this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried.”
Barkley emphasized that Clark’s impact on the sport has been monumental, bringing unprecedented attention from college to the WNBA. Yet, he feels that instead of embracing her, some in the league have allowed petty jealousy to get in the way of fully supporting her.
“This girl is incredible,” Barkley said. “What she did in college for women’s basketball, what she’s doing in the WNBA… The number of eyeballs she brought from college to the pros and these women to have this petty jealousy, you say to yourself, ‘What is going on here?’”
Although Barkley didn’t name specific individuals, his comments likely reference some of the treatment Clark has received from veteran players in the league. Clark has been on the receiving end of several hard fouls during her rookie season, including a shove from the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter. Additionally, WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes has been vocal in questioning Clark’s place in the league, sparking a public feud with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
The debate over who deserves to be Rookie of the Year—Clark or Angel Reese, who has been setting records for the Sky—has further fueled tensions. Despite these challenges, Clark has continued to improve throughout the season. The Indiana Fever, who secured a playoff spot with a 17-16 record, have benefited greatly from Clark’s stellar performance, particularly since the month-long Olympic break. During this period, Clark has averaged 24.8 points and nine assists per game, leading the Fever to six wins in their last seven games.
“The stuff about her is petty and jealous,” Barkley reiterated. “The thing I love about her, she never says a word… She’s playing much faster now. She was playing too slow in the first half of the season, but over the last month, she’s really picked up the pace and started to trust her teammates more.”
Barkley compared Clark’s evolving style of play to that of NBA legend Jason Kidd, noting how she’s becoming more effective without the ball and adjusting to playing alongside more talented teammates than she had in college. “There’s been so much negativity and a lot of it is just petty jealousy,” Barkley added.
This isn’t the first time Barkley has voiced his displeasure with how Clark has been received in the WNBA. During the NBA’s Western Conference Finals, he made similar comments, which drew a sharp response from Sparks forward Dearica Hamby, who took to social media to express her confusion and frustration with Barkley’s remarks.
As Clark continues to make her mark in the WNBA, Barkley’s outspoken defense highlights the need for the league to better support its rising stars, rather than allowing internal rivalries to overshadow their achievements.
