Sue Bird knows there’s a fine line to walk, but for the most part, the former WNBA star thinks her dislike for Fever rookie Kaitlyn Clark is more like a display of misunderstood competitiveness.
“Kaitlyn, whatever you want to call her, is going to go down in history as someone who made a difference, this pivotal figure,” Bird, the former Storm star who retires in 2022 after a 20-year career in the league, said during an appearance on the “Good Game with Sarah Spain” podcast. “She will, 100 percent. But in other leagues … when LeBron (James) came along, it was never like, ‘Oh, Michael Jordan doesn’t matter.’ And for some reason that happened, and that’s what led to all of this.”
“In reality, none of the players had those kinds of feelings towards Kaitlyn. Everyone was very welcoming and welcoming. They mistook competitive talk for hating on someone.”
Others in the WNBA have also spoken out against the hate directed at Clark, including Liberty League star Jonquel Jones and A’s head coach Becky Hammon.
But this is the story that has followed the former University of Iowa star since she became the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and her college attention and viewership shifted to Indiana.
“NBA on TNT” commentator Charles Barkley called the WNBA players’ hatred towards Clark “petty,” while Sky rookie Angel Reese wrote in an X post after an early-season win that the league’s growing profile “isn’t just down to one player.”
But it all seemed to fall into place after Chicago teammate Chennedy Carter wrestled Clark to the ground while Reese appeared to celebrate in the background.
There was no obvious foul, no cryptic post about X, nothing to suggest the kind of hateful Barkley allegations Bird mentioned existed.
Reese and Clark will be teammates in Saturday night’s Team USA and Team WNBA All-Star Game. The Fever are back in the mix for a playoff berth after winning eight of their last 13 games thanks to Clark’s averages of 17.1 points, 8.2 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Reese has solidified herself as a Rookie of the Year candidate.
“I think the majority of WNBA players are just competing in their plays and in their conversations, not with any personal animosity,” Bird said.
