“Caitlin Clark has become, if not the most hated, the most resented player in the league, a target for every team and every defender on every team,” sports columnist and former First Take host Skip Bayless said in a 32-minute video on the much-debated Caitlin Clark and WNBA situation. However, the former ESPN2 commentator believes that social media has played a role in creating the animosity.
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“She [Caitlin Clark] brought an element that a lot of casual fans were fascinated by, and why the veteran stars couldn’t get comfortable with that, I don’t know, because they all read their social media… And in there, they’re all infected. They all overreact.” Bayless said via his X handle.
Bayless also believes that reading insulting comments from fans who try to bring them down for any even minor fouls against Clark is something they shouldn’t do, and only creates more problems.
“Can you imagine? All of you stars in the WNBA can open up your phone, laptop, or whatever, and you can right into the comments. It’s like open season on you. They’re nobodies, they’re probably an avatar face, but they’re just nobodies. They’re unknowns. And you let them seep into your psyche and affect you, and ruin you, and your view of Caitlin Clark. Because that’s exactly what happened, social media destroyed Clark.”
After Alyssa Thomas’ flagrant foul on Clark on June 24, the Phoenix Mercury forward faced brutal personal attacks on social media. It escalated to the point that Thomas had to come out and address it in the media, even urging the WNBA to speak out on the matter.
The latest example came a day after the Fever’s blowout 109-75 win against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday. Despite the officials issuing only a personal foul against Clark after she went down while defending Chelsea Gray’s shot, the Vegas star faced backlash on Instagram.
Meanwhile, Skip Bayless is far from the only one who thinks Caitlin Clark has been on the receiving end of too many fouls. The Republican Study Committee (RSC) Chairman Rep. August Pfluger and several other members of Congress urged the WNBA to protect Clark in a letter.
Rep. Pfluger said, “Clark has been hip-checked, poked in the eye, and struck in the throat during games. These incidents go far beyond routine physical play, yet the WNBA and its officiating have too often failed to address these unacceptable incidents and hold players accountable,” in a July 8 press release.
Although the social media storm surrounding the June 24 flagrant foul incident has cooled down, it’s clear from Skip Bayless’ extensive statement that the discussion around this issue is far from over.