The Bill Simmons Podcast
Charles Barkley believes the players of the WNBA are to blame for the negative attention surrounding Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.
Much of Clark’s stellar rookie season has been marred in toxic discourse that often extends far beyond the basketball court. Through no fault of her own, many of those discussions have led to heated debates about race and gender.
Some have interpreted the actions of WNBA veterans as acts of jealousy toward Clark and her popularity. Others have argued that the on-court incidents — including a flagrant foul from Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter — were simply examples of the kind of rough play no. 1 overall pick in the draft should expect.
Appearing on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Barkley called negative attention “petty jealousness” on the part of the players.
“These ladies — and I’m a WNBA fan — they cannot have fucked this Caitlin Clark thing any worse if they tried,” Barkley said. “People believe what we say on television. Just because people don’t like you
“This girl is incredible. The number of attention, eyeballs, she’s brought to college and the pros — and for these women to have this petty jealousness — you’re saying to yourself, ‘Damn, what is going on here?’ And the thing I love about her, she never says a word. But these ladies, who I love and respect their game, they couldn’t have fucked this thing up any worse. There’s been so much negativity, and a lot of it is petty jealousness.”
Coincidentally, Barkley’s comments are exactly what ESPN’s Elle Duncan called out in June.