4 Times Caitlin Clark Shut Down Haters Like A Pro
Caitlin Clark is not only a pro basketball player, but she's a pro at shutting down the haters. Despite being early in her career, the Indiana Fever star has had an impressive run that has made her all the talk both on and off the court. Don't believe us? Just listen to this impressive resume – she has led the women's basketball team at the University of Iowa to two championship games, she beat out "Pistol Pete" Maravich to become the leading scorer in NCAA D1 history, and was the No.1 overall draft pick for the 2024 year. Since taking the world by storm, Clark has received tons of praise for her athletic abilities, but with admiration comes a lot of hate.
From internet sleuths to big-name celebrities, Clark has faced some major backlash since stepping into the limelight. In March 2024, one person on X, formerly known as Twitter, wrote, "I dont get the Caitlin Clark hype. Just a volume shooting ball hog with a bad attitude. She's totally unlikable." This is just one of the many countless social media posts and opinions Clark has had to face, but the basketball player hasn't let all the backlash slide. The University of Iowa alum isn't afraid to stand up for herself, and has shut down the haters a handful of times over the years.
Caitlin Clark says she isn't bothered by haters
If you internet sleuths thought you were getting under Caitlin Clark's skin, she's not worried about you. The Indiana Fever star has had to deal with plenty of backlash since her transformation into a basketball star. Many celebrities have seen the hate that Clark has received, and have come to her defense. From LeBron James to Billie Jean King, many have backed the former University of Iowa star, but she might not have needed their help.
Clark had the classiest response when asked about the hate she has received in a January 2024 press conference. She said, "That's not something I worry about. I think I just worry about being in this moment, enjoying this moment." She continued, "The people that I really care about, the people that I really love — they always have my back."
Clark is brushing off all the criticism like it's nothing and she made sure to remind people who she is. She continued to say, "But yeah, that's what kinda comes with it when you have the stardom. I think something that I try to live by is like all the love that you feel, the praise, that's the level you're gonna feel all the hate, too. So you got to stay right in the middle." The basketball star remains unbothered by all the criticism and she will surely need to keep up that attitude as her career continues to take off.
Caitlin Clark blasts Dawn Staley's criticism
Caitlin Clark has been blasted even by those in her world. Dawn Staley, a former WNBA player and coach of the University of South Carolina had some harsh words for Clark. During a press conference, the coach began praising Clark, saying, "If Caitlin wins a championship, she's pretty damn good, like yeah, she's the GOAT." Staley admired Clark, but didn't think she was an all-star for one reason. She said, "I mean, she's pretty damn good regardless, but winning a championship would seal the deal." Staley admitted she felt the basketball star needed an NCAA championship to solidify her G.O.A.T status, but secretly hoped it wouldn't happen since her team was going against Clark (spoiler: one of her South Carolina players outshined Clark).
After hearing Staley's comments, the Indiana Fever star shut down her opinion. According to ESPN, Clark said in a press conference, "I've played basketball at this university for four years, and for it to come down to two games and that be whether or not I'm proud of myself and proud of the way I've carried myself and proud of the way I've impacted people in their lives, I don't think that's a fair assessment." In her college career, Clark was able to get the University of Iowa women's basketball team to two championship games, but never took home the title. Unlike Staley, however, many would still consider Clark a G.O.A.T even without a college ring.
Caitlin Clark hilariously throws jab at Michael Che
In April, Caitlin Clark's glam appearance on "SNL" made heads turn. Clark appeared on the "Weekend Update" segment of the show and put host Michael Che in his place. Over the years, Che has made some harsh jokes about women's basketball and the WNBA, which were highlighted in the segment. The night that Clark made her debut, he even joked, "University of Iowa announced that Caitlin Clark will have her jersey retired. And replaced with an apron."
With all the things he has said about Clark and women's basketball, the Indiana Fever star made sure to get her revenge and had a series of jokes ready for Che to read. The "SNL" star read one of Clark's jokes, saying, "The Indiana Fever have the first pick in this Monday's draft. A reminder that the Indiana Fever is a WNBA team, and not what Michael Che gave to dozens of women at Purdue University." The handful of jokes took aim at Che, and Clark made sure to wrap it up with gift and callback to his earlier remark. She said, "Since you're such a big fan ... it's an apron signed by me."
Although she revealed to "Today" that appearing on "SNL" was more terrifying than taking the court, it sure didn't seem that way. Clark put Che in check in the best way as she shut down his criticism.
Caitlin Clark will defend herself and her team in any way possible
When Caitlin Clark gets heated, she's not one to mess with. Even if Clark's dad might not be a fan of her attitude, she still has moments where the game gets too intense and she has to react. During a match in 2023, the then-University of Iowa star had something to say to her opponent Hailey Van Lith. ESPN caught the moment that Clark trash-talked Lith about where her team stood during the game. She told her, "You're down by 15 points. Shut up." It seemed like Clark was responding to something Lith had told her on the court. Like we said before, the basketball star isn't afraid to defend herself, especially when her buttons are pushed.
The Indiana Fever star has been facing backlash from critics since the beginning of her career. A video from one of her high school games showed a group of boys from the opposing team chanting, "Overrated!" Instead of talking trash, which we know she's capable of, Clark made them quiet in a different way. The basketball prodigy went on to score a 42-point game and led her team to a win, quickly silencing the opponent side. So, whether it's on a high school, college, or WNBA level, people should know not to mess with Clark.