WNBA fans were in an uproar this week over comments made by Sheryl Swoopes regarding Caitlin Clark on the latest episode of Gil’s Arena. The four-time WNBA champion joined NBA veteran Gilbert Arenas to discuss the ongoing rivalry between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark, which recently intensified after a weekend collision between the two WNBA rookies.

Before the game, photos of Angel Reese’s custom hand-painted Reebok shoes went viral. The shoes sported a joker theme, featuring the villain’s menacing grin on the toe box of one shoe and the iconic “HaHaHa” laugh on the other. This artistic choice aligned with Reese’s recent comments about embracing the villain role in her rivalry with Clark.

During the game, tensions peaked when Reese was called for a foul after hitting Clark in the head. Upon review, the foul was upgraded to a flagrant. On Gil’s Arena, Arenas described Reese as a tough player who thrives on playing a “bully” role on the court. Swoopes quickly jumped in to defend Reese, arguing that she’s not a bully, but then took a jab at Clark, accusing her of frequently pushing off.

Swoopes’ remarks sparked a heated reaction from WNBA fans, fueling the ongoing debate about the intense rivalry between Reese and Clark.

“She’s not a bully (Reese), she’s not a bully. Well I mean if you want to talk about bullies, every time Caitlin has the ball she pushed off. I’m just saying.”

NBA and WNBA fans were quick to react, with many expressing frustration over Sheryl Swoopes’ criticism of Caitlin Clark.

“God these haters are making me so tired” – One wrote

“Stop giving Sheryl a platform.” – Another added

“Lmao that lady” – Another wrote

Others defended Clark for what they deemed unfair criticism:

“Cc gets hand check every game and refs don’t blow the whistle. If they are going to allow hand checks then as a ref you can not call a foul for a push off. That is none biased balanced officiating.” – One wrote

“Wow you would think about all the lies she told about CC she wouldn’t go there but she can’t help herself.” – Another added

“very time a female talks on the WNBA they never can be honest on this situation all the former or current NBA players be telling them how it actually is and the females can’t wrap their heads around it” – One pointed out

“She big mad but she can’t even find a reason to say out loud” – One alleged

Looking at Sheryl Swoopes’ past comments about Caitlin Clark

While Sheryl Swoopes’ recent comments about Caitlin Clark have irked WNBA fans, this isn’t the first time the WNBA legend has criticized Clark. Back in February, during a separate appearance on the Gil’s Arena podcast, Swoopes discussed Clark breaking the NCAA scoring record.

Following the Iowa superstar’s 49-point performance in mid-February, Swoopes argued that Clark didn’t deserve the record because it took her an extra year. Swoopes mistakenly believed that Clark had played an additional year of college basketball due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of that, she believed that Clark should have broken Kelsey Plum’s collegiate scoring record within four years. The problem with her statement, of course, was that Caitlin Clark hadn’t played an extra year.

When this was pointed out to Sheryl Swoopes, she doubled down, saying that Clark takes 40 shots a game. Although she and Clark eventually cleared the air in a private discussion, Swoopes had also been dismissive of Clark the previous year.

“To me, she broke the record, but she did it in six games, I didn’t get that sixth game, so I set the record in five games. So to me, yes, she broke the record, but she did it in six games. … I don’t care what the record is, who has the record, anybody that can put up back-to-back 40-point games, like that’s a baller.”

While Sheryl Swoopes has been complimentary of Caitlin Clark at times and the pair have cleared the air, it seems that some members of the WNBA community believe she still harbors a bias against Clark.