Caitlin Clark’s rookie season in the WNBA may have started off slowly, but she has since found her rhythm and is now delivering the kind of electrifying basketball that fans anticipated when she transitioned from Iowa to the Indiana Fever.
Recently, Clark set a new league record for the most assists by a rookie during last Sunday’s victory over the Seattle Storm. She has led the Fever to four wins in their last five games, and the team is hitting its stride just as the season intensifies. Through 28 games, Clark is averaging 17.3 points, a league-leading 8.3 assists, and 5.8 rebounds per game.
This recent success has prompted fans to revisit some earlier comments made by legendary UConn coach Geno Auriemma. Back in June, Auriemma had some harsh critiques of Clark’s game during an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show. He also criticized some of her fans, who he felt had unrealistic expectations.
“The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she’s going to go in that league and tear it apart,” Auriemma said in June. “There were actually odds that she was third or fourth in betting odds of being MVP of the WNBA. These people are so disrespectful and so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women’s basketball a bad name. So the kid was set up for failure right from the beginning.”
Auriemma also questioned whether Clark was prepared for the physical demands of the WNBA and suggested that she needed to be on a better team to succeed.
“She’s just not built for the physicality of this league. And she’s not quick enough to get away from the physicality,” he said. “So there’s a lot of learning curve like, Diana (Taurasi) said. And when she gets it, she has elite skills that will really help her. But she needs to be on a better team and she needs to be more experienced and that will come.”
"The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the #WNBA players by saying she's going to go in that league and tear it a part… The kid was set up for failure right from the beginning."
-Geno Auriemma talks Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/HkBwKuVS4E
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) June 6, 2024
These comments, which are resurfacing on social media this week, now seem increasingly out of touch given Clark’s recent performances.
Fans haven’t hesitated to call out Auriemma, noting how Clark’s resilience and adaptability have proven him wrong.
Knew these comments wouldn’t age well when he made them. It was a big cope for overlooking her during recruiting and thus allowing Iowa to run with the blue bloods. https://t.co/cYAtXn8znV
— Anne (@docboogie) August 22, 2024
Geno Auriemma said Caitlin Clark's fanbase is "delusional" because we said CC is gonna "tear the W apart" and we gave her the 3rd or 4th best betting odds to win MVP.
Well, CC is tearing apart the W and is tied for the 2nd best odds to win MVP. https://t.co/HUB3dl51eP pic.twitter.com/9TQroD0s4U— ¢мιℓ (@CMil1012) August 22, 2024
Didn’t recruit her!!
Got bounced by her team and delusional fan base last year.
Showing his bias for his.
Also showing that players win. When you don’t have the monopoly you actually have to coach. Because coaches only lose games…a win.
He will never be prevalent again https://t.co/UBG2LDlyy5— Justin Northrop (@IowaHawkFan85) August 22, 2024
This definably didn't age well lol she has better stats the Diana currently, she is in the MVP Conversation, seems like this is more someone mad that he lost to her in the final 4 https://t.co/f5n4xCDWZc
— SnapZ / Lathanuel (@ohsnapitysnapz) August 22, 2024
Geno Auriemma on Caitlin Clark in June:
-She’s on the wrong team
-Has the wrong skill set to handle the WNBA
-She’s not quick enough to get away from the physicality of the W
-She’s not a distributor like Paige BLet’s see how his comments aged 🧵 pic.twitter.com/k1bG4gMMnu
— Clark Report (@CClarkReport) August 22, 2024
As the Fever continue their strong run, Clark and her team are gearing up for their next challenge on Saturday night against the Minnesota Lynx.
