Knicks · OT: From Soup to Nuts - All Things WNBA (page 1)

The hate is ridiculous. The jealousy is real.

The back story

The haters

Its great for the league. This storyline only drives in more viewers. Caitlin got that dog in her so she will be fine when its all said and done.

Maybe it is who the league is

“There’s a difference between tough defense and unnecessary— targeting actions! It needs to stop!” Wood wrote on X. “The league needs to “cleanup” the crap! That’s NOT who this league is!!”

You’re not allowed? Lady I checked Ms. Clark was playing for the Indiana Fever.

newyorknewyork wrote:Its great for the league. This storyline only drives in more viewers. Caitlin got that dog in her so she will be fine when its all said and done.

She’s a tv ratings gold mine. Tbh I do think her being white and attractive has something to do with it.

She is getting defended harder than A'ja Wilson and A'ja is the best player in the NBA. It is partly due to her team being so bad that even with the defense overplaying Clark full court they can't take advantage.

Philc1 wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Its great for the league. This storyline only drives in more viewers. Caitlin got that dog in her so she will be fine when its all said and done.

She’s a tv ratings gold mine. Tbh I do think her being white and attractive has something to do with it.

Her being white in a mostly black league is the majority of it. Just like if she was black and the league was mostly white. These dynamics put extras on it. If Caitlin was black or if the league was mostly white then it's not viewed the same.

Caitlin entered the league with more acclaim than anyone in history of the WBNA that I have seen. Even more so than Candace Parker. Players are gonna check her to see why is she of all people the chosen one. Up to her to show show it. But as many have pointed out. If she is exposed as not being that calibre of star/player. That will only hurt the possible earnings of the league and the players in general. They may be taking a stand against a perceived manufactured star. With the belief she has been manufactured as a higher level of star due to being white. And black women wouldn't be able to get that same acclaim. I haven't followed the WNBA deep enough butI haven't seen anyone shoot from range on a consistent level like Caitlin has. While talking trash. The best outcome would be that Caitlin is just the real deal and earns the respect of her peers.

There was a good amount fans who was upset about Luka's treatment his first few seasons in the league....
https://www.outkick.com/analysis/montrez...
And here we are now...

“They hate us because they ain’t us.”

I like Catlin. The girl got mad game. In 3 years, she will be running the league. Her and Angel Reese are going to do more for the WNBA is two years than the league has done the past 10 years. I hope they both do well and build a Magic/Bird rivalry that builds up the WNBA so those women can start making the millions the NBA players enjoy.

Clean wrote:She is getting defended harder than A'ja Wilson and A'ja is the best player in the NBA. It is partly due to her team being so bad that even with the defense overplaying Clark full court they can't take advantage.

We shall refer to this as the "Randle v Atlanta, first round playoffs 2020-21"

1. Define white?
2. Everybody and anybody that comes into a billion dollar enterprise with more hype than the average person with be greeted with hate, just ask Lebron James who was labeled “king” james b4 stepping foot into the nba.

I am slowly learning more about recent WNBA history. Apparently something similar happened to Sabrina Ionescu. Vets thought she got too much attention and sponsors. They were extra physical and face guarded her fullcourt with doubles teams anytime she got near another player. It did not stop until they signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. So don't let the WNBA media gaslight you into thinking the players are not jealous. The Fever just needs to sign some actual talent so they can't get away with it anymore. Getting an enforcer would not hurt either. Jonquel Jones counted as both an enforcer and a really good player for Sabrina. That is probably why she was so nice in her postgame comments about Clark. She knows exactly what she is going through.

Philc1 wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:Its great for the league. This storyline only drives in more viewers. Caitlin got that dog in her so she will be fine when its all said and done.

She’s a tv ratings gold mine. Tbh I do think her being white and attractive has something to do with it.

This is normal.

Whenever a person who’s part of a minority group enters a system dominated by a majority group will receive some level of jealousy /hate. It’s in the Bible so can’t expect this not to occur in our lifetime.

The solution is to shut up and play. Your play will shut up all the haters and eventually she will be accepted by the majority.

But just like racism, there will always be some sought of hate from the majority. The good news is that hate on her is not written in Law and will not be forced by the oppressors over 400 years of generational hate. Her play will speak louder than anything else.

The broke the scoring record in 4 years. Not 5 as Swoops claimed. Cheryl hurts herself by doing an ignorant Rant.
Like most rookies Clark and Reese will need time to adapt.
Turasi and some older players with MVPs and chips can be a bit taken back as they accomplished and never got what Clark is getting. I don't find her statements all that bad actually.
NBA players went thru the same thing. In time Revenue sharing made sure the money flowed to the players. WNBA does not make much money.
Clark did bring College ball to the stage because she was getting buckets. A lot of buckets!!! She boosted ratings and she was paid. Her endorsements are on potential. If she don't rise up, it will dry up.
In time a black player will tear up the college game and if personable/marketable will make even more money and fame than Clark. If players are upset at Clark the ones to blame are the audience who tuned in. The market was ready for a women to break thru.
Is it fair? She is not hot, not ugly, just a nice looking young lady who shoots like no other women. She also took a ton of shots BECAUSE SHE MAKES THEM!!.
Angel Reese is a heck of a player but did not have the same career. Is it ugly that American does not love her personality? Is it racist? Yes and no. To some its racist. But also not everyone gets her, undertand her, or likes her. In marketing terms she simply is not that appealing to the masses.
Cameron Brinks has the "it girl look" and gets attention to some degree on her looks but she stands out to what masses find appealing. Long, lean, blond, etc.
If she plays in a glamor market of LA and if successful will be even more marketable.
Candace Parker is a beautiful young lady and big WNBA star! Problem is WNBA is not a big major league. She is limited by being openly married to a women but still gets TV gigs and that itself is more than anyone could imagine even 20 years ago!
There are no openly gay Active NBA players.

The world is not a kind place. Just ask Brittney Grenier.

PLAYER TEAM LAST SEASON GAMES PLAYED POINTS
Caitlin Clark Iowa 2024 138 3,951
Kelsey Plum Washington 2017 139 3,527
Dyaisha Fair Buffalo/Syracuse 2024 153 3,403
Kelsey Mitchell Ohio St. 2018 139 3,402
Jackie Stiles Missouri State 2001 129 3,393
Brittney Griner Baylor 2013 148 3,283
Patricia Hoskins Mississippi Valley State 1989 110 3,122
Lorri Bauman Drake 1984 120 3,115
Jerica Coley FIU 2014 131 3,107
Rachel Banham Minnesota 2016 144 3,093
Elena Delle Donne Delaware 2013 114 3,039
Maya Moore UConn 2011 154 3,036
Chamique Holdsclaw Tennessee 1999 148 3,025
Cheryl Miller Southern California 1986 128 3,018
Cindy Blodgett Maine 1998 118 3,005
LaToya Thomas Mississippi State 2003 125 2,981
Valorie Whiteside Appalachian State 1988 116 2,944
Kelly Mazzante Penn State 2004 133 2,919
Joyce Walker LSU 1984 117 2,906
Jess Kovatch Saint Francis (PA) 2019 130 2,874
Kevi Luper Oral Roberts 2013 126 2,867
Alysha Clark Belmont/Middle Tenn. 2010 123 2,865
Heather Butler UT Martin 2014 129 2,865
Sandra Hodge New Orleans 1984 107 2,860
Andrea Riley Oklahoma State 2010 131 2,835
Jantel Lavender Ohio State 2011 136 2,818
Zach Pekale is an alumnus of Arizona State University with a degree in sports journalism. He has worked for Arizona PBS, Arizona Sports 98.7 FM and the Cape Cod Baseball League. His writing has also appeared on FOX Sports, Bleacher Report and at the Associated Press. Follow him on Twitter @ZachPekale.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.

Clean wrote:I am slowly learning more about recent WNBA history. Apparently something similar happened to Sabrina Ionescu. Vets thought she got too much attention and sponsors. They were extra physical and face guarded her fullcourt with doubles teams anytime she got near another player. It did not stop until they signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. So don't let the WNBA media gaslight you into thinking the players are not jealous. The Fever just needs to sign some actual talent so they can't get away with it anymore. Getting an enforcer would not hurt either. Jonquel Jones counted as both an enforcer and a really good player for Sabrina. That is probably why she was so nice in her postgame comments about Clark. She knows exactly what she is going through.

Good post. It’s probably just a coincidence that Sabrina Ionescu is white and straight and another number 1 draft pick who came into the league with lucrative sponsor deals.

Bob brings up an interesting point. Don't know if this is a straight/white story. I watched an interview where Diane Tausasi was trash talking Clark and telling her how she was gonna give it to her... Pause. I remember Kobe and Lebron went through a similar phase earlier on. Maybe race adds a little to the fire, but I think the jealousy aspect is the biggest thing.

Javascript is not enabled or there was problem with the URL: https://www.twitter.com/awfulannouncing/status/1797999498524065933?t=TL9e2dlL4y0_5eyp0T6CSg&s=19

Click here to view the Tweet

Rookie wrote:

Clean wrote:I am slowly learning more about recent WNBA history. Apparently something similar happened to Sabrina Ionescu. Vets thought she got too much attention and sponsors. They were extra physical and face guarded her fullcourt with doubles teams anytime she got near another player. It did not stop until they signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. So don't let the WNBA media gaslight you into thinking the players are not jealous. The Fever just needs to sign some actual talent so they can't get away with it anymore. Getting an enforcer would not hurt either. Jonquel Jones counted as both an enforcer and a really good player for Sabrina. That is probably why she was so nice in her postgame comments about Clark. She knows exactly what she is going through.

Good post. It’s probably just a coincidence that Sabrina Ionescu is white and straight and another number 1 draft pick who came into the league with lucrative sponsor deals.

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/187...

The question is Rookie. Do you make this thread if it was Candice Wiggins and not Caitlin Clark?

newyorknewyork wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Clean wrote:I am slowly learning more about recent WNBA history. Apparently something similar happened to Sabrina Ionescu. Vets thought she got too much attention and sponsors. They were extra physical and face guarded her fullcourt with doubles teams anytime she got near another player. It did not stop until they signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. So don't let the WNBA media gaslight you into thinking the players are not jealous. The Fever just needs to sign some actual talent so they can't get away with it anymore. Getting an enforcer would not hurt either. Jonquel Jones counted as both an enforcer and a really good player for Sabrina. That is probably why she was so nice in her postgame comments about Clark. She knows exactly what she is going through.

Good post. It’s probably just a coincidence that Sabrina Ionescu is white and straight and another number 1 draft pick who came into the league with lucrative sponsor deals.

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/187...

The question is Rookie. Do you make this thread if it was Candice Wiggins and not Caitlin Clark?

I have never heard of Candice Wiggins and I bet neither have you. The spotlight is on the WNBA. This probably isn’t the last story that will come out. If Candice and Caitlin switched places and this was happening to Candice today, right now and it had the media attention that the Caitlin story is getting your damn right I would start a thread about it. They need to clean this shit up and it needs everyone’s attention. Where there is smoke there is fire. Something isn’t right and everyone is watching now.

I think the better question is- why haven’t you started a thread about it? This isn’t the first thread I’ve started about the WNBA and it’s crickets, silence. No one cares but it’s getting harder to ignore this league. Unfortunately the games are excruciatingly boring, but Caitlin Clark has become must watch TV. Attendance is going crazy. TV ratings are off the charts and everyone is getting into the drama. I don’t know how long it will last since Clark’s team is pretty bad. They aren’t going to win a lot of games and they aren’t making the playoffs. People will likely start to lose interest. I do however think a lot of young girls will be inspired to hoop.

Rookie wrote:

newyorknewyork wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Clean wrote:I am slowly learning more about recent WNBA history. Apparently something similar happened to Sabrina Ionescu. Vets thought she got too much attention and sponsors. They were extra physical and face guarded her fullcourt with doubles teams anytime she got near another player. It did not stop until they signed Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Courtney Vandersloot. So don't let the WNBA media gaslight you into thinking the players are not jealous. The Fever just needs to sign some actual talent so they can't get away with it anymore. Getting an enforcer would not hurt either. Jonquel Jones counted as both an enforcer and a really good player for Sabrina. That is probably why she was so nice in her postgame comments about Clark. She knows exactly what she is going through.

Good post. It’s probably just a coincidence that Sabrina Ionescu is white and straight and another number 1 draft pick who came into the league with lucrative sponsor deals.

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/187...

The question is Rookie. Do you make this thread if it was Candice Wiggins and not Caitlin Clark?

I have never heard of Candice Wiggins and I bet neither have you. The spotlight is on the WNBA. This probably isn’t the last story that will come out. If Candice and Caitlin switched places and this was happening to Candice today, right now and it had the media attention that the Caitlin story is getting your damn right I would start a thread about it. They need to clean this shit up and it needs everyone’s attention. Where there is smoke there is fire. Something isn’t right and everyone is watching now.

I think the better question is- why haven’t you started a thread about it? This isn’t the first thread I’ve started about the WNBA and it’s crickets, silence. No one cares but it’s getting harder to ignore this league. Unfortunately the games are excruciatingly boring, but Caitlin Clark has become must watch TV. Attendance is going crazy. TV ratings are off the charts and everyone is getting into the drama. I don’t know how long it will last since Clark’s team is pretty bad. They aren’t going to win a lot of games and they aren’t making the playoffs. People will likely start to lose interest. I do however think a lot of young girls will be inspired to hoop.

I don't follow the WNBA like that. So I wouldn't make a thread on Candice Wiggins or Caitlin Clark. Maybe a comment if someone did something extraordinary. This storyline does intrigue me though as it does most. Which is why its getting the buzz it has. Which is good for the league. Given the narrative you created this thread for though. I decided to google search any history of rookies or players in general getting bullied in the WNBA. Wanted to see what the history has been and what tracks for players getting bullied. Was very interested in seeing how Candace Parker was treated since I remember her having much much acclaim entering the league from Tennessee. Which is why I stumbled on this Candace Wiggins article on ESPN.

Also interesting is that Cameron Brink the #2 pick is also a straight white woman. Steph Curry's god daughter I believe. Haven't heard any issues about her so far in the league. May arguably be having the better rookie season so far than Clark & Reese. Don't know what any of that means in the grand scheme just an interesting dynamic.

A large part of Clark's fame and popularity is due to her being white. White people take up the majority of the population. Having high level player they can relate to will always generate more buzz. On the opposite side of that fame comes with jealousy and a target on ones back. As much as one can complain about the jealousy. Another can complain about the automatic advantage one would have by having an easier path to attracting a majority of the population by just being relatable.

Caitlin Clark will make more money and be more famous than anyone else in the league as long as she stays healthy (knock on wood)when its all said an done.

In terms of pure basketball. Clark doesn't have a filled out frame and is a long distance shooter. Roughing her up is probably the best bet to attempt to throw her off her game if your trying to win. League will if they are smart adjust rules to allow her to do her thing. Her having WNBA version of Steph Curry type seasons will generate way more money than anything else. Right now shouldn't be about competition, but growing the league/brand.