Stephen A. Smith tears into the Caitlin Clark haters in the WNBA: “Grow up”

The Indiana Fever will be without Caitlin Clark for at least two weeks after the WNBA superstar was diagnosed with a left quad strain.

Now in her second season in the league, Clark has begun the 2025 season in productive form and averaging 19 points per game. She also leads the league in assists, averaging 9.3 per game.

But beyond her incredible talent, Clark also represents a major commercial pull for the WNBA and one of the most marketable athletes in the US currently. The league has broken countless attendance records since her arrival last year, but that enormous popularity has led to some resentment.

Analyst Stephen A. Smith broached the subject on his podcast this week, discussing her impact on the WNBA.

Smith said: “I don’t care about her leading the league in assists, I don’t care about the points that she’s averaging because I already know that the young lady can ball. She is special.”

“People wanted to hate. Because, why? You had a bunch of players in this league who watched this young white girl come along and take the league by storm. And they resented it, because they saw the marketing prowess that she had."

Clark’s commercial appeal has dwarfed anything else in the league, even among the more experienced and more storied stars of the women’s game. But it is Clark, Smith says, who has helped to improve conditions for all in the WNBA.

He explained: “[Other players] ignored the fact that they got chartered flights because of this girl. They ignored the fact that ratings were going through the roof because of this girl.”

“Instead they resented it because they said: ‘We were doing stuff long before Caitlin Clark came along... Now the young white girls comes along y’all want to sit up there and shower all this praise and attention that was earned before she came along.'"

“The resentment is understandable, but it’s not about Caitlin Clark. It’s about what she represents. My point is ‘Grow up’. Who cares? Magic and Bird didn’t stop Jordan coming along and doing what he did."

There has certainly been evidence of some rough treatment on Clark during her start to life in the WNBA. The infamous flagrant foul from Chennedy Carter was particularly egregious but some ex-players have said that it’s nothing out of the ordinary for a talented player to suffer.

Hall of Fame center turned ESPN analyst Rebecca Lobo said: “I don’t think the veterans have been anything other than trying to stop Caitlin and trying to slow her down as competitors.”