Skip Bayless wonders if Caitlin Clark is all talk and nothing is being done.
The “Undisputed” hot-take master questioned the 2024 No. 1 pick’s “weakness” after a passive performance late in Sunday’s game that saw the Fever blew a 15-point lead to the Sky in a loss.
He chose the canine metaphor after rival Angel Reese referred to herself as a dog after helping the Sky come from behind in an 88-87 win.
“Right after the match, Angel Reese did a stand-up interview with Holly Rowe on the court, and the first thing out of her mouth was, ‘I have that dog, you can’t teach it.’ But you can’t teach it. You’re either born with it or you’re not.” Bayless said Monday.“And Angel was the first professional basketball player to really show me who she is in that game when they were in big trouble.
“On the flip side, I’m going to hold women’s basketball to the same standard I hold men’s basketball to. Kaitlyn, I don’t know if she has that weakness. I know she has the talent. I know she has the talent to shoot the long distance. And I know she definitely has the talent to pass the basketball.”
“But I don’t know if she has a dog in her, because I’m starting to wonder. I know it’s still very early, but what I’m saying is, when you see what I saw (Sunday), you start to wonder.”
Clarke’s performance on Sunday has been called into question after she mysteriously disappeared in the final seven minutes while the Fever squandered a big lead.
She took just three shots in the fourth quarter, including just one in the final seven minutes.
Trailing by one with 20 seconds left and a chance to take the lead, Clark instead of attacking the basket passed to teammate Christy Wallace in transition, who missed the shot.
Fever coach Christy Sides would have preferred Clark to keep the ball.
“I never want her to be aggressive and not shoot,” Sides said, “and after she missed the free throw, when she went out in transition, I really thought she was going to take a shot on the basket or a shot right there and that would have been a great shot for her and for our team.”
Clark, who had a franchise-record 13 assists on Sunday, seemed content to be pass-heavy at the position.
“Obviously I had one or two chances at the end to take another shot, but I trust my teammates,” said Clark, who had 17 points. “Obviously, 13 assists means my teammates scored on 13 of my passes, which is a really good number, so I’m just going to give them the ball every time and give them a chance to score. I trust them.”
Meanwhile, Reese recorded game-highs of 25 points and 16 rebounds in the Sky’s first win over the Fever in three meetings this season.
“I’m a dog. I can’t teach you that.” Reese said“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
