There are moments in sports when greatness is so undeniable, even the loudest voices fall silent. On a night that would reverberate across the basketball world, Caitlin Clark—rookie sensation, record-breaker, and face of the WNBA’s new era—delivered a performance so electrifying that it left Shaquille O’Neal, the Big Diesel himself, utterly speechless.
The Hype and the Pressure
Caitlin Clark’s arrival in the WNBA was anything but quiet. She entered the league with a tidal wave of expectations, a media circus at her heels, and the weight of an entire sport’s future on her shoulders. Some wondered if the pressure would slow her down. Instead, Clark did what she’s always done: she thrived. In a matter of weeks, she turned doubters into believers, skeptics into fans, and a struggling Indiana Fever franchise into a playoff contender.
Her impact was immediate and historic. She didn’t just play well—she rewrote the record books, set attendance records, and made women’s basketball a mainstream obsession. The “Caitlin Clark effect” was real, and it was changing the game.
Shaq’s Loyalty—and His Challenge
Among those watching Clark’s meteoric rise was Shaquille O’Neal, one of basketball’s most influential voices. Shaq’s connection to the WNBA ran deep, particularly through his mentorship of Angel Reese, the Chicago Sky rookie and LSU legend. Shaq had long been Reese’s champion, calling her the greatest player to come out of LSU—even above himself and “Pistol” Pete Maravich. Their bond was more than alumni pride: Shaq, as Reebok’s President of Basketball Operations, had shepherded Reese into a landmark endorsement deal, guiding her both on and off the court.
Shaq’s loyalty to Reese was unwavering. He cheered her on courtside, mentored her through the trials of fame, and publicly predicted her rise as the sport’s next icon. For a time, he barely spoke about Clark, preferring to keep his focus on his LSU protégé.
But Clark’s performances made silence impossible.
The Game That Changed Everything
The Fever’s clash with the Chicago Sky was billed as a showdown between two of the game’s brightest young stars: Clark and Reese. But from the opening tip, it was clear this night belonged to Caitlin Clark. She dominated every facet of the game—draining logo threes, slicing through defenders, threading impossible passes, and even swatting away shots on defense. She played with a combination of flair and grit, elevating her teammates and igniting the crowd.
By the third quarter, the Fever had built an insurmountable lead. Clark’s stat line was jaw-dropping: 20 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists—a triple-double in just her 41st WNBA game, making her the fastest player in league history to reach three career triple-doubles. She broke records for most 20-point, 10-assist games by a sophomore, and her leadership was palpable as the Fever dismantled the Sky by 35 points, the second-largest margin of victory in franchise history.
The arena buzzed with energy. Reporters scrambled for superlatives. And on the TNT set, Shaq was uncharacteristically quiet.
Shaq’s Turning Point
For a man known for his booming laugh and bigger-than-life opinions, Shaq’s silence spoke volumes. When the cameras finally cut to him, he took a breath and simply said, “She does everything right. I want to be mad, but I can’t. She’s special. Much respect to her and her family.”
It was more than a compliment. It was a passing of the torch, a moment of genuine respect from a Hall of Famer who had played alongside legends—Kobe, Penny, Dwyane, LeBron—and knew greatness when he saw it. Shaq’s admission was a turning point, not just for Clark, but for the way the sports world viewed her. If Shaq, with all his personal and professional ties to Reese, couldn’t deny Clark’s dominance, how could anyone else?
The Caitlin Clark Effect
Clark’s impact extended far beyond the box score. She brought new fans to the game in droves. The Fever’s home attendance skyrocketed from a few thousand to nearly 17,000 per night, leading the league. National TV ratings soared; the twelve most-watched WNBA games of 2024 all featured Indiana, regularly drawing 1.2 to 2.3 million viewers—numbers that eclipsed the NBA’s regular season average. The All-Star Game, with Clark front and center, pulled in a staggering 3.4 million viewers, the most since the league’s inaugural season.
The business side of the league flourished as well. Merchandise sales boomed. Sponsorships poured in. The Fever’s games became appointment viewing, and Clark’s jersey became the hottest ticket in sports retail. Shaq, ever the entrepreneur, saw the business upside: “She’s not just a superstar—she’s a movement.”
Winning Over the Critics
Clark’s rise forced many to reconsider their assumptions about women’s basketball. Pundits who had questioned whether her game would translate to the pros were now eating their words. Even those who had been loudest in their skepticism—often favoring Reese or other rookies—fell silent, or pivoted to praise. The Caitlin Clark era had begun, and it was impossible to ignore.
Her leadership on the court was matched by her humility off it. She credited her teammates, deflected praise, and spoke about the responsibility she felt to inspire the next generation. “I just want to keep getting better, keep winning, and keep growing the game,” she said after the victory. “That’s what it’s all about.”
The Future: A New Standard
As the Fever celebrated their blowout win, one thing was clear: Caitlin Clark wasn’t just living up to the hype—she was redefining it. Her combination of skill, vision, and leadership had already changed the trajectory of a franchise and a league. She had made the WNBA the talk of the sports world, and her performances were must-see TV.
And as for Shaq? He’d seen enough to know: Clark’s dominance wasn’t a fluke. It was the beginning of something historic. His words—few as they were—echoed across the basketball landscape, signaling a shift in how the game’s legends and fans alike viewed the future.
Epilogue: When Dominance Speaks
There are many ways to measure greatness: points scored, records broken, titles won. But sometimes, true greatness is measured in silence—the kind that falls when even the loudest voices have nothing left to say but “wow.” On that night, Caitlin Clark left Shaq speechless. And in doing so, she announced to the world that her era had truly begun.
Shaq on Caitlin Clark Having to Earn Her Respect
Shaquille O’Neal has spoken about the hype surrounding WNBA rookie sensation Caitin Clark and has conceded she is the real deal after watching her play in Chicago in late August.
“When I see stuff on TV I’m like, OK, I’d like to see it in person. Well, I saw it in person,” O’Neal said of Clark, via USA Today. “She can play … from a basketball standpoint, she makes all the right plays, gets everybody involved and she has that Steph Curry (shooting) range.”
Charles Barkley recently called out the NBA media for their ‘petty’ and ‘jealous’ behavior surrounding Clark.
But Shaq sees it differently.
“There’s envious jealousy, there’s professional jealousy,” O’Neal said. “Sure there’s a lot of people who are professionally jealous. I am. I’m professionally jealous of a lot of people. I’m professionally jealous of Steph [Curry], he makes $60 million. But hey, that’s life.
“You gotta also understand that we’re not just going to give it to you because everybody else is giving it to you. You still gotta earn it. Chuck had to go through that, I had to go through that, so I understand what everybody’s doing. Yeah you’re great, but you ain’t that great yet. Calm down. We still got Diana Taurasi, we still got A’ja Wilson, if you’re gonna give (Caitlin) props make sure our girls that are dominating in this league get the same props.”
O’Neal went on to speak about the dominance of Wilson, who is having a baller season for the Aces and looks the favorite to take home her third MVP.
“Loudmouths like Chuck are talking about hating — it’s not hating,” O’Neal continued. “It’s like, you’re good but let’s slow it down a notch. As good as Caitlin Clark is, we’ve had a lot of young ladies who have been doing good (before) and not getting props. People like props and they want to feel good when you’re talking about (their league) … it’s not hating. Everybody has to wait their turn.”
