Are Caitlin Clark’s fellow WNBA players unfairly targeting the star rookie, or is the most-hyped young player in the league’s history simply paying her dues?
One of the most respected voices in women’s college basketball and the sport as a whole, longtime UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, is squarely in the former camp.
“Is she facing the rookie challenge, the rookie hardships that are inherent with being a rookie? Yes,” Auriemma told reporters Tuesday, via ESPN. “She’s also being targeted.”
The debate over how Clark’s opponents are treating her cranked up after Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter body-checked Clark to the ground late in the Indiana Fever‘s 71-70 win over the Sky on Saturday, as teammates — including Clark’s former college rival Angel Reese — appeared to applaud from Chicago’s bench.
Some, including FS1’s Colin Cowherd and Chris Broussard and longtime NBA player Jamal Crawford, believe Clark is just going through the necessary adversity that someone heralded as a star often endures, such as NBA legends like Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the early portions of their careers.
Auriemma addressed that line of thinking, saying that while he understands the argument, he believes the treatment of Clark has crossed a line.
“I don’t remember when Jordan came into…
