Caitlin Clark cannot shoot a jumper these days without somebody picking it apart. When you’re the face of the WNBA, there’s a ton of scrutiny that comes with that.
From criticism about her recent back injury to how her game is developing in her third WNBA season, there’s always something. But not everyone’s buying the panic. Geoff Schwartz, a former NFL offensive linemen turned analyst, defended Clark amid the recent wave of criticism.
Geoff Schwartz Defends Caitlin Clark Amid Latest Wave of Criticism
Schwartz, who suited up for the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings, Kansas City Chiefs, and New York Giants throughout his NFL career, recently fired back at Clark’s doubters.
Schwartz candidly defended Clark on X.
“Saying Clark hasn’t improved her game is going to age very poorly. Going left now. Better on defense. Passes are crisp. 3s are going in now,” he posted on X. He shared this take alongside a clip breaking down the Indiana Fever’s read-and-react offense, the same system Clark ran at Iowa.
Clark’s stats back up Schwartz’s take, as she is averaging 23.8 points, a league-high 9.0 assists, and 4.4 rebounds per game through five contests. She’s the only player in the WNBA with two 20-point, 10-assist outings this season. On Friday against the Golden State Valkyries, she returned from a one-game absence and dropped 22 points and 9 assists in a 90-82 win, shooting 7-of-15 from the field and 4-of-9 from deep.
This isn’t new territory for Schwartz. The former Chiefs guard has been in Clark’s corner for a while.
Back in July 2025, he joined Jason McIntyre on “The Herd” to defend Clark against early criticism and to discuss whether she has the capability to lead Indy to a championship amid her health scares. His argument leaned on her passing and the gravity she creates.
Schwartz has been a long-time vocal supporter of Clark, defending her from time to time against critics who trash her play just for online engagement.
After Friday’s win, Clark also addressed the noise around her game. She’d been a late scratch on Wednesday, a mere 100 minutes before the tipoff, after not appearing on the injury report prior to that decision.
“Coming back from injury is a real mental challenge,” she explained. “I think everybody expects me to be like this (pointing up). It’s not. It’s like this (pointing up and down).
“These are the best players in the world, and if I don’t feel 100% confident in my body in Game 5 of the year, I don’t know if that’s really worth it.”
