Charles Barkley was one of the first players to call out the WNBA veteran for his “meanness” toward Indiana Fever rookie guard Caitlin Clark, and the TNT basketball commentator is standing by his original position.
Since Barkley’s initial comments, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese appeared to criticize Clark on social media (something Reese’s mother denied), and more famously, Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter landed a blindside hip check on Clark, resulting in a flagrant foul.
Barkley said the WNBA[hitting] With Clark as a “shining star” entering the league, the team won the “lottery.”
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Charles Barkley is standing by his position that WNBA players are jealous of rookie Kaitlyn Clark. (Getty Images)
The Hall of Fame inductee first praised Clark for her focus on work.
“What I like about her is she never says a word. Never said a word about anybody. She just shows up and does her job,” he said.
Barkley said it was inevitable that Clark would receive some rookie treatment, but “I didn’t think she should have to worry about all this petty nonsense that’s going on.”
And he says that gave the WNBA a bad reputation.
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (left) is watched by Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter during a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Saturday. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Chicago Sky spokesman claims video showing Chennedy Carter being “harassed” was “edited” to remove vulgarity
“This is not the old days when any publicity is good publicity,” he said. “This is really bad publicity for the WNBA because we’re not talking about basketball. Anytime you talk about sports, especially this sport, you talk about negative things … When you talk about all these boring things and negative things, you’re not talking about the game.”
Barkley acknowledged he didn’t have a problem with Carter’s behavior and said he has no problem with being “hard” on rookies.
“but, [the Sky players] It had gone too far,” he added.
“They act as if she didn’t earn it. She just got the highest points of any person in history, male or female. ‘She got the job because she’s white.’ Is race a factor? Yes, race is a factor, but her record speaks for itself… They didn’t just support her because she’s white,” Barkley said.
Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter (left) defends Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark during Saturday’s game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Clark’s games have higher viewership than any other WNBA game and more fans attend her games than any other player.
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