All eyes were on WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark after her historic 45-point, 10-assist outburst on Friday. But even as social media and WNBA fans raced to pen plaudits of her performance, Clark cut through the noise by attempting to downplay a historic feat.
Cowboys Icon Dez Bryant Addresses Caitlin Clark’s Postgame Comments
Former Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III has engaged in a passionate defense of Clark as the face of the WNBA. Griffin doubled down on the claim after Clark’s historic night.
“Olivia Miles = Baller. A’Ja Wilson = Best Player in the WNBA. Paige Bueckers = Baller. Marina Mabrey = Baller. Kelsey Mitchell = Baller. I could name 20 more. But the facts are that no one brings more eyes or money to the WNBA than Caitlin Clark,” Griffin wrote.
While RGIII’s comments were greeted with approval from most corners of the WNBA community, Dallas Cowboys legend Dez Bryant, who has disputed Griffin’s claim about Clark’s status in the WNBA, decided to go down a different route.
“CC and I have been following each other on this platform since her freshman or sophomore year of college. I’ve been a fan for a long time. I’m glad she said in her postgame press conference that she didn’t care. Her eyes are on something bigger than that night… That’s my only point,” Bryant wrote, addressing Clark’s post-game comments.
Clark has been the talk of the sports world after an incident during the Fever’s ill-tempered game against the Phoenix Mercury in June sparked controversy. Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas struck Clark in the throat and escaped immediate punishment, but was later hit with a flagrant-2, a $1,000 fine and a one-game suspension.
The issue escalated as fans and analysts complained about opponents’ rough treatment of Clark. Republican lawmakers went as far as to send a letter to WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert complaining about Clark’s treatment by opponents and officials and threatening dire consequences if the league did not step in.
Clark, meanwhile, has been plagued by a back injury that has forced her to play under a minutes restriction. Her shooting numbers dipped significantly before Friday’s explosion against the Storm, where she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 200 triples, needing just 74 games.
During her postgame news conference, the Fever star dismissed the hype around her record-breaking performance.
“I mean, it’s cool. I don’t really care,” Clark said. “I know what I’m capable of, and I know what this team is capable of. And it’s my job to help us win and be the best team in the WNBA. And I don’t think we’re there yet. So it’s my responsibility to help us get there. So we’ll keep working.”
Clark’s status as the face of the WNBA has divided opinion among fans and analysts and the debate has continued to evolve with personalities from all sports getting involved.
