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WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes has copped criticism from fans for downplaying Caitlin Clark's impact on the Indiana Fever,
On her podcast “Queens of the Court,” Swoopes shared her take on Clark’s Rookie of the Year case and her overall performance this season. She suggested that Clark's rival Angel Reese has done more with a weaker roster than the Fever guard's.
"I think Caitlin (Clark) has done, I think, exactly what was expected of her with Indiana. The reason why they drafted her. What the expectations were, and I think she's done just that," Swoopes said.
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"Is Indiana in the playoffs right now, without Caitlin?...When you look at the overall team, like the pieces that they have, without question, Indiana has better players than Chicago from top to bottom. No doubt about it," she added.
The Fever are seventh in the standings with an 11-15 record, while Reese’s Sky boast a 10-14 card and are eighth. Following Swoopes’ comments, fans had a go at the WNBA legend's basketball takes.
“Swoopes has been known to be an a**hole in her post playing career. This goes back years. Why she became this avatar for “legends are unimpeachable in their wisdom” I will never understand,” said one fan on Reddit.
“Swoops has an ego issue,” another fan said.
“Great basketball player, but also a dumbass. That’s Swoopes,” another fan said.
Other fans described Swoopes' comments as pure hate for Caitlin Clark, who has been given the keys to the Fever’s offense since the first game this season.
“This is Skip Bayless levels of hating I must say. Not a good look from Swoopes,” said one fan.
“Generational levels of hating,” said one fan.
“Swoopes is clearly no longer a viable voice for the WNBA,” said another fan.
Swoopes is a three-time WNBA MVP and was named one of the 15 best players in WNBA history in 2011.
Caitlin Clark has had great impact on Indiana Fever this season
Contrary to Swoopes’ comments, the Indiana Fever have been better off with Caitlin Clark on the floor than off of it, when looking at the numbers.
According to WNBA advanced stats, the Fever’s offensive rating hits 103.6, which is 1.0 points better than the league average when Caitlin Clark is on the floor. When she's on the bench, the team's offensive rating drops to 93.9, about 8.7 points worse than the league average.
Clark is averaging 17.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and a league-leading 8.2 assists for the Fever this season. She set the single-game record for assists (19) and recorded the first triple-double by a rookie in WNBA history.
