The air was thick with anticipation. The WNBA season was in full swing, and every game seemed to carry more weight than the last. But off the court, another battle was brewing—a war of words, legacies, and shifting power. At the center of it all stood Caitlin Clark, the Indiana Fever’s rookie sensation, and Sheryl Swoopes, a legend whose name was woven into the very fabric of women’s basketball.
For decades, Swoopes had been the standard. Her name echoed through gymnasiums, her jersey hung in rafters, and her records stood as milestones for generations of players. She was a champion, a pioneer, and, for many, the face of the league. But times were changing, and a new star was rising—one whose ascent was as meteoric as it was undeniable.
Caitlin Clark had arrived.
She didn’t ask for the spotlight. She earned it. From her earliest days in Iowa, Clark’s game was electric—her range limitless, her vision sharp, her confidence unshakable. She broke records, filled arenas, and, perhaps most importantly, made people care about women’s basketball in a way they hadn’t in years. Kids—boys and girls alike—wore her number, mimicked her shot, and dreamed bigger because of her.
But with every highlight reel, every milestone, and every headline, the pressure mounted. Not just from fans or the media, but from the league’s old guard—those who had fought for every inch of progress and now watched as a new face threatened to rewrite the narrative.
Sheryl Swoopes watched, too. She’d seen phenoms come and go, but Clark was different. The league was changing faster than anyone expected, and Swoopes wasn’t ready to hand over the torch—not yet.
It started subtly. Comments during broadcasts, questions about Clark’s records—were they legitimate, given the pace of today’s game? Was her impact real, or just a product of hype? Swoopes didn’t mince words. “If you’re going to break a record, you need to do it in the same amount of time as the player who set it,” she said on a podcast, her tone measured but unmistakably pointed.
Fans heard it. So did Clark. But she kept her head down and played.
Then came the moment that set social media ablaze. Swoopes appeared on Gilbert Arenas’s podcast, not in her own jersey or even neutral colors, but in a Paige Bueckers t-shirt—a not-so-subtle endorsement of another rising star. Some called it support for a new generation; others saw it for what it was: a calculated swipe at Caitlin Clark, disguised as encouragement for someone else.
The message was clear. Swoopes wasn’t ready to let go. And she certainly wasn’t ready to let Clark be the one to take her place.
The fans weren’t blind. They saw the pattern. Every time Clark shined, every time she broke a record or lifted her team, Swoopes was there to remind everyone of the past, to question the present, to cast doubt on the future. It wasn’t just commentary—it was a campaign, a steady drip of criticism and side-eye that made it clear: Clark would have to earn everything, twice over.
But Clark was undeterred. She played harder. She played smarter. She played with a joy and confidence that was infectious. She didn’t rise through media favoritism or politics—she rose because her game demanded it. No antics, no drama, just dominance.
Her rookie season was one for the ages—breaking records for points, assists, double-doubles, and three-pointers. She became the first WNBA rookie to notch multiple triple-doubles, the fastest to 100 three-pointers, and the most fan-voted All-Star in league history. The numbers weren’t just good; they were historic.
And yet, the criticism persisted. Swoopes and others questioned her attitude, her fit, her impact. Was she too cocky? Did she deserve the attention? Was the league too rough on her, or was she just another rookie learning hard lessons?
The truth was, Clark was changing the league in ways that couldn’t be ignored. Sold-out games, record-breaking viewership, jersey sales that rivaled NBA stars—she was igniting passion in places the WNBA had never reached. She was making people care.
But with every success came more scrutiny. Swoopes’s t-shirt stunt didn’t go unnoticed. Fans saw it as petty, as projection, as the act of someone not ready to embrace the future. Paige Bueckers, a star in her own right, deserved better than to be used as a prop in someone else’s vendetta.
Clark, for her part, refused to play the game. She didn’t engage in social media feuds, didn’t respond to every slight. She let her game speak for itself. She knew that her presence alone was rewriting the league’s power dynamics—and that scared those who had once controlled the conversation.
The league was at a crossroads. The old guard wanted respect for their legacy; the new generation demanded space to grow. But the marketplace had spoken. The people had chosen. Clark was the story, and no amount of shade could dim her light.
As the season wore on, the noise grew louder. But so did Clark’s game. She lifted her team, inspired her fans, and forced the league to reckon with its future. She didn’t just belong—she was redefining what belonging looked like.
In the end, legends don’t need to beg for validation. They prove it every night on the court. And Caitlin Clark was doing just that—breaking records, filling seats, and leaving behind a trail of silenced critics who still couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.
Sheryl Swoopes could wear all the t-shirts she wanted, Angel Reese could fire off all the shade she pleased, but while they played social media chess, Caitlin Clark was playing basketball—and winning.
The WNBA didn’t need another civil war. It needed truth. It needed to embrace the future, even as it honored the past. Because in the end, the game is bigger than any one player, any one legacy.
And as Caitlin Clark walked off the court, head held high, she knew: she wasn’t just part of the story.
She was the story.
And she was just getting started.
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes responds to claims she was removed from booth for Indiana Fever game over her criticism of Caitlin Clark
Sheryl Swoopes has responded to claims she was removed from commentating an Indiana Fever game over her criticism of Caitlin Clark – saying she was ‘never supposed to do that game anyway.’
Fans and media took note when Swoopes, who had been calling Dallas Wings games for Bally Sports Southwest, was not in the booth when the team took on the Fever on September 1.
And while many – including ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith – claimed that Swoopes was taken off of the game, Swoopes said on Angel Reese’s podcast that her contract with Bally Sports was already up before the game.
‘They were like, ‘Oh Sheryl was replaced, they fired her, they kicked her off the game because it’s Caitlin Clark, and she can’t do that game,” Swoopes began on Unapologetically Angel.
‘I was contracted to do seven Dallas Wings games, so I was never supposed to do that game anyway. But because of everything else, [people] just kind of figured that because I didn’t do that game, well, they fired me, but really my contract was up … and that was it, it wasn’t a thing.’
Sheryl Swoopes poured cold water on the theory that she was removed from calling the Fever
Swoopes has previously been critical of Clark, who she said was ‘not dominating’ the WNBA
Ron Thulin and Nancy Lieberman called the game for Bally Sports, and the latter appeared on Smith’s show afterwards.
Lieberman confirmed Smith’s theory for Swoopes alleged removal, saying television network producers would not want obvious bias slipping into broadcasts.
Swoopes’ apparent bias against Clark is well documented.
Swoopes first came under fire in regards to Clark back in March, for saying her NCAA D1 scoring record ‘wasn’t legitimate’ because she was a 25-year-old player in her fifth year and that she takes ‘about 40 shots a game’. Clark was 22 and in her fourth – not fifth – season at Iowa.
In August, Swoopes incredibly did not mention Clark when discussing the Fever’s strong form after the Olympics – a move which Smith slammed.
Clark had a brilliant rookie season and was ultimately voted Rookie of the Year this week
In the discussion, Swoopes mentioned the likes of Lexie Hull, Kelsey Mitchell and Aaliyah Boston – but not Clark.
‘Respectfully, Sheryl Swoopes, do you have any idea how that makes you look? Do you have any idea how that serves to stain any kind of critique of Caitlin Clark?,’ Smith said on his eponymous show. ‘Because it gives fodder to those who believe she’s being hated and ostracized to some degree. Do you realize, Sheryl Swoopes, you’re insane to do that? Let me tell you why you’re insane to do that. Because, Sheryl Swoopes, you’re one of the greatest players ever in the history of basketball, that’s why.
He continued, ‘See, you won a championship in college at Texas Tech. You won three Olympic gold medals. You won four WNBA championships. You know basketball. You know basketball better than me; you know basketball [better] than any of the pundits. You know basketball better than most of the men that play basketball. There is no way in hell you just accidentally left Caitlin Clark’s name out of that soliloquy that you dropped about the Indiana Fever – stop it.
Earlier this month, Swoopes also said she did not believe Clark – the WNBA’s Rookie of the Year – has been ‘dominating’ the league.
Nonetheless, Rookie of the Year voters seemed to disagree and Clark will look to come back even stronger next year after her Fever lost in the first round of the playoffs.
