"Yet you clown Caitlin Clark" - Olden Polynice tears into WNBA's lofty salary demands while alleging failure to protect its 'golden egg'

Former NBA player Olden Polynice was critical of the WNBA for failing to capitalize on Caitlin Clark and her popularity. Polynice called Clark the "golden egg" that would have helped bring in more money to the league, which would have helped the current CBA negotiations.

Speaking on the "Fast Break" podcast with Byron Russell and Kid Jay, Polynice argued that the WNBA didn't do a proper job in promoting Clark and maximizing her popularity. He even went as far as mentioning how the NBA helped Michael Jordan dominate by changing a few rules.

"You lose money every year, so let's talk about that," Polynice said. "But even before I go to that, you don't even take care of your own. You had the golden egg and you still do, but yet you clown Caitlin Clark, (who) is your golden egg. What did they do in her first season? They put her up against the two toughest defensive teams in the league.

The 15-year veteran added:

"You got to you got to milk that. You got to use that to your advantage. People clowned and talked about, 'Well, they had the Jordan rules and then the league changed.' Yeah, because they knew what was going on. We need to protect our cash cow."

The WNBA has been criticized by fans, former players and other basketball personalities since Caitlin Clark arrived last year for not embracing her popularity. Olden Polynice also mentioned how the players failed to welcome her with open arms and then got physical with her.

Polynice was also not impressed with the way the WNBA has failed its best players, like A'ja Wilson, for not promoting her the right way. He even mentioned how they failed to market Paige Bueckers and assumed it would also happen to JuJu Watkins once she arrives in a couple of years.

Caitlin Clark played in just 13 games this season

While Caitlin Clark took the WNBA by storm as a rookie, her second year wasn't as exciting due to injuries. Clark played just 13 games because of four muscle-related injuries, including a couple of hamstring issues and a couple of groin strains.

The Indiana Fever did alright without her playing in the majority of games, making the playoffs for the second straight season. They also broke their attendance record from last year, though they could have welcomed more if Clark had been healthy.

With the CBA expiring at the end of October, it will be interesting to see how much impact Clark has on the negotiations.

About the author

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry.

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David