Comedian Bill Maher called out Indiana Fever basketball player Kaitlyn Clark’s “mean” teammates on Friday’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” to defend the rising Women’s Basketball Association (WNBA) star.
Maher told the crowd that “only a woman” would “smirk” and refuse to protect a teammate like Clark, and he contrasted this with male athletes, who he argued are “on the same team, and they protect each other.”
“Women’s basketball has really taken my attention. Everyone’s paying attention because of Caitlin Clark. Other women in the league are happy for her success. I’m kidding, of course,” Maher said, drawing laughter and applause from the crowd. “Everybody hates her.”
Maher is clip Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter was filmed shoving Clark onto the court, and the comedian pointed out that Clark’s Indiana Fever teammates seemed to refrain from helping Clark off the ground or showing any friendship to the WNBA star. (Related article: “Take off your hijab and throw it away”: Bill Maher slams college students for ignoring Iran’s “war on women”)
“I mean, that was pretty on purpose,” Maher said, “and then look at that other girl on her team coming up to me: No!”
Bill Maher’s thoughts on Caitlin Clark’s jealousy:
BM: “Women’s basketball first came to my attention because of Caitlin Clark. The other girls in the league are happy for her success. I’m kidding of course. They all hate her.”
If this is a male, they will protect each other … pic.twitter.com/RZjqq6dS3e— Eric Abbenante (@EricAbbenante) June 8, 2024
“Look, if this was men, they’d be on the same team and defend each other. I mean, men play from two teams, but if someone checks who’s on your team, they defend that person. I’m saying men have their bad parts too. We’re toxic. We’re dogs,” he continued. “But it’s only women that do this. Women are mean. Even the women on their own team.”
Clark, who made a name for herself at the collegiate level, broke the WNBA viewership record on ESPN when she was selected first overall in the 2024 WNBA Draft, according to Sportico. Approximately 2.45 million viewers tuned in to watch the University of Iowa star get drafted by the Indiana Fever. The previous record was set in 2004, when 601,000 viewers watched University of Connecticut’s Diana Taurasi get drafted by the Phoenix Mercury.
