LeSean McCoy's Dramatic Description Of Caitlin Clark Goes Too Far With Fans

The Caitlin Clark controversy shows no signs of slowing down any time soon. On June 17, former NFL running back LeSean McCoy jumped into the fray with his take on Clark, which left many WNBA fans spitting mad. It kicked off when McCoy, who's appropriately nicknamed "Shady," shared his thoughts on Angel Reese's contentious foul against Clark during the June 16 game, in which the Chicago Sky lost 91-83 to the Indiana Fever.

On the "Speak" podcast, McCoy said he didn't believe Reese's clash was intentional. Instead, he put it down to "basketball play." Still, he criticized the WNBA for not allowing Clark enough court time, claiming she'll lose her "passion for the game" if they continue in the same vein. McCoy also slammed the league for not utilizing Clark enough to grow women's basketball, crediting her for skyrocketing viewing figures. "You have the Messiah there. No one was watching women's basketball [before Clark]," he claimed. Oh boy.

Fans flocked to X, formerly Twitter, to make their feelings heard. "If Caitlin Clark is the Messiah then Angel Reese is Zeus. One wouldn't even be a thing without the other," one fan wrote. "Speak for yourself I been watching WNBA since 1997 first national televised game Liberty vs Sparks @ Great Western Forum. All [of a] sudden everyone wants to talk about WNBA. Where was this 3 or 10 years [ago]," commented another. "Four men who do not watch women's basketball. The ignorance. Whew," claimed another.

LeSean McCoy further riled up WNBA fans by comparing Caitlin Clark to Michael Jordan and Tom Brady. He said the WNBA needs to treat the athlete better if it wants to start bringing in the big bucks because she's the key to monetizing the sport by bringing in the viewers. "If she's not playing, I'm not watching," McCoy vowed.

It's not the first time the former NFL player has bigged up the basketball star. He shared his thoughts on Clark not going to the Olympics during the previous episode of "Speak" on June 10. He noted that with seven Olympic gold medals to their name already, the women's team doesn't need to sweat it when it comes to continuing their victory streak. McCoy claimed that the real challenge was "growing this game," which, once again, he credited Clark for doing.

McCoy claimed that Clark is the WNBA's star player of all time and questioned the motivation behind dropping her from the roster as she's the ultimate tool for increasing interest in the sport internationally. He also criticized the disappointing salary that the WNBA pays players such as Clark. "The max you can make in a woman's contract is what? 250 a year?" McCoy asked. "Is that what it is? Come on, man!"

LeSean McCoy isn't the only person to question why basketball star Caitlin Clark isn't heading to Paris with the rest of the team for the 2024 Olympics. Social media has been abuzz with speculation. However, two separate sources told USA Today that Clark's popularity played a massive factor in the selection panel's decision to snub her. They claimed officials were concerned "over how Clark's millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster was a factor in the decision making."

Jen Rizzotti, who heads up the panel, acknowledged there's a lot of noise and buzz around Clark but insisted it was her lack of experience in the game and the combination of player skills needed for the team that resulted in her non-selection — not Clark's superstar popularity. "When you base your decision on criteria, there were other players that were harder to cut because they checked a lot more boxes," Rizzotti told the Associated Press. "Then sometimes it comes down to position, style of play for Cheryl [Reeve], and then sometimes a vote."

Meanwhile, USA Basketball CEO Jim Tooley told the Associated Press he's thrilled with the team they're sending to France. He said it comprised the perfect mix of talent and skills, plus the team has "veterans, newcomers, and those in the middle." Tooley credited their selection skills for the U.S. women's team's domination of the Olympic Games.