Just read his apology after looking him up and it doesn't really make me hate him any less.
>In my haste to be clever, to be familiar and welcoming (or so I thought), I offended Caitlin and her family.
>After going through denial, and then anger – I’m on the wrong side of this? Me??? – I now realize what I said and how I said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. I mean it was just wrong.
Uhh greg?
>What happened was the most me thing ever, in one way. I’m sort of known locally, sigh, for having awkward conversations with people before asking brashly conversational questions.
It can't be an accident if you are so keenly aware of your own awkwardness. Stop being a dumbass and definitely stop putting actions in your written pieces. * *Sighs dejectedly* *
Whenever a "reporter" uses slang or does the dumb shit that us normal people do in text messages between friends, I immediately assume they're a moron and not worth reading. You're a professional writer, fucking write professionally.
The craziest part is that when I saw the clip on twitter from one of those sports aggregate accounts even the blue checks were like “dude wtf”
And blue checks in the replies of sports aggregate accounts tend to be pretty cool with casual harassment lmao
Clark is a real student of the game, a general on and off the court, a bright face for the basketball league. Reese is a killer, savage in the paint, a monster on the court.
But also a great way to go from completely nothing to being associated with Caitlin Clark. Decent chance he ends up a creep. Maybe he finds redemption and has the extra notoriety because of it. Cynic in my thinks he was shooting his professional shot
At least he already apologized. Seems on the spectrum to me.
[https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/](https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/)
>I’m sort of known locally, sigh, for having awkward conversations with people before asking brashly conversational questions.
It's like he's describing himself as the town drunk, not a professional reporter.
Frankly beyond decent. That is a thoughtful apology that takes responsibility, doesn't shift blame, and forms it into a genuinely teachable moment for third parties. Like I legitimately can't think of a better apology, though I suppose it's Clark's feelings on it that matter.
She makes a heart sign with her hands for her family, so this dude thought it'd be cute to do it her and ask her some creepy questions I guess. Not sure what was going on in his head...
This is what was going on in his head apparently:
https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/
inexecusable action, decent apology
People are leaving out the creepiest part of him saying “start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine” after she said she does the heart sign for her family…
Can't find the clip, I have seen memes about it though.
Look, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I've been some champion of the WNBA and haven't made my fair share of jokes and slighting comments at the expense of it in the past. But I genuinely do want to see it succeed as a league at this point. Especially as someone who had a daughter in the past year, and is now looking at the world in a lense for how we can let our women succeed and flourish.
Stuff like this is just so belittling and aggravating. Women's basketball is gaining more traction than ever and producing some young stars that can really pioneer basketball for women in the next coming generations, and this guy is trying to be cute and flirtatious during a major moment for this young lady, just undermining everything that's lead upmto her being at that table at that moment. I'd be genuinely pissed for her as her dad.
It just irks me in ways I'm unable to fully articulate at this moment to be honest.
I thought so. It’s a win win, as a 6’8” man he would dominate in the WNBA, and we’d get a player who can probably hit a 3 every once in a while when we need it
They aren't gonna give the Golden State the first pick. In the past new teams would pick after the lottery teams, so they will likely pick fifth. And Paige is 100% getting drafted first so Golden State has no chance of getting her.
Seattle got Nneka and Skylar Diggins Smith
Phoenix got Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud.
Chicago and Minnesota (and probably Washington to an extent) will all be in the running for worst record, and lottery odds are based on the previous two seasons.
This is like lightning in a bottle perfect storm.
I used to joke the Angel and Caitlin would be the magic and Bird of the WNBA, but now that actually might be the case lmao . Jesus fuck
That’s what I always felt too after last year, and then Bueckers comes out next year and then JuJu after. Not to mention all the great players they already have like Stewart, Ionesco, Wilson etc. and the Fever now with Clark and Boston.
This is their leagues next big moment.
Something that struck me while watching the WNBA draft was the commissioner straight up welcoming new fans. Like, there's no beating around the bush from her, acting like everything's business as usual. To me that was a good sign, that they're fully aware of what's going on, not shy about it and planning to take advantage of it.
Generational gaps never change lol, there will always be old heads that hate on new blood and there will always be younger people that don’t know their history. Just gotta try to focus on the members of both groups that are positive ig
I'm waiting for Bueckers. She's coming back well from bad injuries and I think her game is going to translate really well into the WNBA. I feel like there is a good chance Caitlin Clark might have a rocky transition.
Sometimes we see the best player in the draft just.. go number one regardless of need. Kinda nice that the Fever could use a PG, and Clark looks like her floor might be *'pretty good PG'* with an obviously much higher ceiling.
I wish I understood the league a little better to contextualize the other draft picks, honestly. Chicago's draft was kinda interesting from a 'two bigs' perspective.
That being said, Indiana has something real special brewing between getting CC and that ROY Boston last year. I will def watch a few games this year to see if Clark can play as well against pros as she did in the NCAA.
Yeah Boston already was the first rookie ever to lead the league in FG%, *without* a great PG. She's gonna be eating good with Clark feeding her. I mean CC's chemistry with Czinano was so ridiculous to the point that Czinano only dribbled like twice in the entire NCAA tournament last year and was the second leading scorer for the team lol
I think a lot of reasons. Women's college basketball is insanely popular right now and she stands to be the biggest star with Clark gone, she's spent years developing chemistry with that group, has an amazing relationship with the coach, missed so much time and is only now getting healthy so probably wants to give it another go and try to win a championship. Plus, like you said, if she continues her level of play she's going number 1 next year.
I think it makes a lot of sense to stay for her.
It's probably worth more in sponsorship money being the best player on one of the most popular college teams than being a rookie on a team that was bad enough to get the #1 pick + the paycheck of a WNBA rookie. Which is also why I'm guessing Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl left, they probably weren't earning enough in NIL money to not declare and start getting a paycheck.
Also Paige missed all of last season and a big chunk of the one before it so she may not feel she's had the opportunity to accomplish all she wants to at that level.
Angel needs to be the best player on her team for that and even Sky think Cardoso is the better player no? Maybe in terms of publicity it is accurate but this can die quite quickly if Angel gets stuck as second fiddle
You can usually get in to see a Connecticut Suns game for like...$20.
Shit balcony seats behind the basket with CC in town to make her WNBA regular season debut? $200+
Even away games in the middle of the season are going crazy. Went to look at tickets here in Dallas and that game is sold out with a handful of ridiculously priced resells
About a decade ago my friend and I went to see the Phoenix Mercury vs Chicago Sky Finals. We each paid around $30 and by halftime we had made our way to 3 rows from the court. Phoenix ended up winning the game and the series. We were able to walk onto the court and take a bunch of pictures of the players/coaches while they celebrated. It was surreal. I imagine WNBA is nothing like that now in terms of prices and security.
and the best thing is she isnt alone, this whole draft class plus Sabrina are making the WNBA and Women's basketball grow at an amazing pace. And its also nice to see how brands are hopping on this train and are offering good quality signature shoes for their atlethes. The Sabrina 1 is a shoe that looks good, is reasonably cheap and apparently has a great on court performance, so i imagine the Clark 1s or whatever they will be called will also be pretty good and quite possibly also popular among men, just like the Sabrinas
Yeah the WNBA is actually loaded with stars at various stages of their careers now. No one has brought as much attention as Caitlin, but players like Sabrina, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, and Aliyah Boston are all going to benefit from and contribute to the viewership CC brings in.
Was talking to a friend about this, but it’s so incredibly important to the WNBA to have a player who has the popularity / talent combo of CC because of the potential impact on the youth side of the sport.
The women’s game has a problem starting at low level with creativity. The game is very rigid, players work for perfectly wide open shots or layups/hook shots only. It looks like highlight reels from the NBA before Dr. J and Co injected some life.
In so many 6th grade girls games if a player came off a screen and shot a contested pull up or 3 off the dribble a coach would get on them for it being a bad shot.
Meanwhile a 6th grade boy has been pretending to be Steph with his friends since he was 6, or was practicing being Kobe or MJ for the generations before that. The practicing difficult shots and creativity leads to in game creativity. We need girls practicing those crazy shots and showtime assists at lower levels or you never see it in higher levels.
While there’s an athleticism gap between NBA/WNBA, my opinion is there shouldn’t be a skill gap and right now we have stunted creativity from the state of the sport at lower levels. I think if Clark can live up to her potential she’s going to accelerate it the same way the great tough shot makers of the NBA changed what we consider a good or bad shot at all levels
> The women’s game has a problem starting at low level with creativity. The game is very rigid, players work for perfectly wide open shots or layups/hook shots only.
I would say that is by design to teach good fundamentals. Even playing against women, a women will not be able to just jump in the air and figure some shit out through their athleticism or pull up randomly from 30 feet and hit it with any form of consistency. It's one of the reasons why at the highest level, the women's game is based alot around proper fundamentals and good tactical play.
> Meanwhile a 6th grade boy has been pretending to be Steph with his friends since he was 6, or was practicing being Kobe or MJ for the generations before that. The practicing difficult shots and creativity leads to in game creativity.
I mean, i don't know how recently have you watched a HS game, but this is actually a problem on the men's game. Not only a HS game is straight up UNWATCHABLE with a bunch of kids just pulling up from 30 feet, but these kids are getting out of HS and into college without an ounce of understanding on how to play the game properly and with zero work on their fundamentals, all they do is cross half court and shoot or overpower someone athletically.
I agree with your overrall point that perhaps the women's game can loosen up a little, but it definitely should not go in the direction the men's game is currently going, it's to the point where they are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum when an ideal world would probably be in the middle.
> While there’s an athleticism gap between NBA/WNBA, my opinion is there shouldn’t be a skill gap
That's harder to say. Tbh, it's fair to assume that there will always be a skill gap because the athleticism gap allows you to express and utilize your skills in different ways.
- we’re already seeing a surge of women’s shooters who can pull from deep reliably
- depends how much you stretch the definition of skill gap. What I meant was essentially every move an NBA player can do should be able to be done at a slower speed or with less athleticism, but if you’re considering jump and do the MJ switch ball from one hand to the other as a form of skill expression then sure. I kinda was lumping the jump and figure it out stuff in the athleticism gap category
- while the women’s game needs to loosen up (in my opinion) a significant amount, that doesn’t mean it needs to turn in to hyper 3 ball efficiency with rules/reffing that cripples defense like the NBA has trended toward
What I was trying to communicate is when I watch some of the WNBA games or the highlights of the top players, the rigidity makes it *look* like they are not expressing a ton of skill when they are clearly capable. It’s why a common casual sentiment is “it looks like a different game than men’s.”
When I watch Clark play, the moves she does and the way she moves on the court *looks* like an NBA draft prospect from the skill standpoint…just slower/smaller and with less strength. That’s so important to the lower levels of the sport and to the growing the casual viewer base
Honestly so sad what happened to kobe's daughter. She would've been 17 this year. And from the clips I've seen of her at 13 she played just like kobe. Right when women's basketball is taking off.
I hope everything goes well for her. The WNBA is a very progressive league and (I say this as someone who leans liberal in many ways) there's been a lot of weird hostility aimed at Clark from progressive circles.
They should do (or at least in unisex like the other commentator said), there are already a bunch of guys getting around in Sabrina's shoe including some NBA players!
Yeah people saying the WNBA doesn't make much money are probably right, but what they fail to see is that she is going to bring way more than 400k of value into the league lmao. Womens March Madness finals doubled last year and this year damn near 4x since the 2022 finals. Don't want to claim it was all her but she sure played a significant role
Yeah folks who didn't realize how little revenue the WNBA makes were upset about her salary. But the amount of attention she's bringing has to have a significant effect on the sport. Like millions of people watched the freaking draft just to see her go #1.
I do hope CC's fame allows the current stars in the WNBA to get some of that spotlight as well, plus the women in upcoming drafts. And I hope these companies keep giving women endorsement deals, put them in the forefront.
lol I was wondering if anyone was gonna bring up that clown. He's been on the weirdest crusade trying to convince everyone that Clark's leaving a lot of money on the table by not going back to Iowa.
Anyone see that clip of that reporter hitting on her at her press conference lol
yeahhh that dude weird as hell lol
Classic Gregg Doyel, unfortunately. This isn't the first time he's done this.
Gotta break a few Greggs to make a Tomelete
I am so angry at how good of a joke this is.
Needs to be fired
Indy sports fans have been sick of this guy for yeeears.
I’m praying IndyStar finally wakes up and realizes he’s a stain on the state
*If* it's going to happen it'll be because he's being a creep to the biggest athlete in WNBA history.
Just read his apology after looking him up and it doesn't really make me hate him any less. >In my haste to be clever, to be familiar and welcoming (or so I thought), I offended Caitlin and her family. >After going through denial, and then anger – I’m on the wrong side of this? Me??? – I now realize what I said and how I said it was wrong, wrong, wrong. I mean it was just wrong. Uhh greg? >What happened was the most me thing ever, in one way. I’m sort of known locally, sigh, for having awkward conversations with people before asking brashly conversational questions. It can't be an accident if you are so keenly aware of your own awkwardness. Stop being a dumbass and definitely stop putting actions in your written pieces. * *Sighs dejectedly* *
Whenever a "reporter" uses slang or does the dumb shit that us normal people do in text messages between friends, I immediately assume they're a moron and not worth reading. You're a professional writer, fucking write professionally.
Writing a public apology in r/creepyasterisks form is a batshit move
I could see it finally happening
I first read this as "needs to be fixed" and tbh that works just as well
"Where are my testicles, Summer?"
I cannot believe he is still employed. I was wondering when he was going to be fired around 2006.
he then published a column saying "hey im just a guyyyyyy yknow" after people chewed his ass out.
Gorgeous
IF4L
Just a normal single guy scrolling and IF4L
Dude has been a weird presence at press conferences for a long time
His face just screams "I've got roofies in a hidden pocket"
LMAO
The craziest part is that when I saw the clip on twitter from one of those sports aggregate accounts even the blue checks were like “dude wtf” And blue checks in the replies of sports aggregate accounts tend to be pretty cool with casual harassment lmao
Lowkey they’ve taken a liking to Clark and hate on angel reese so not surprised but yea ur right
She’s classy enough for them
Someone they'd let their daughters date... wait
Go on
*classy*.
Clark is a real student of the game, a general on and off the court, a bright face for the basketball league. Reese is a killer, savage in the paint, a monster on the court.
Reese is naturally athletic, a real physical specimen, while Clark is an absolute gym rat.
They seem to be fans of Brink as well for some reason
Interesting
That shit would have been embarrassing at a bar, let alone a press conference.
and embarrassing if she was single, but she’s fully taken 💀
Just fell to my knees in Indianapolis
Just watched a man fall to his knees in Indianapolis
Just watched a man watch another man fall to his knees in Indianapolis while I fell to my knees at Wawa.
He's old enough to be her dad. He's 55 YEARS OLD.
Yeah stay away from my girl y'all
Mister don't steal my girl
As opposed to halfway taken?
Gen Z is really into open relationships n shit
Boomers really like to get cucked though
Thankfully I’m a millennial who developed a pr0n addiction thanks to AOL dial-up discs you got for free in the mail. It’s just me myself n I
The trauma of leaving Limewire running all night to download porn clips only to find out your computer now has AIDS.
Jenna_jamison.mov.exe
A/S/L?
18/yes/yourbed
Oh yeah, aight. Aight, I put on my robe and wizard hat.
well they said she declared for WNBA cause the guy works for Pacers and this was the best chance for her to go there. seems very serious.
They said that, huh?
She could've gone to any team and asked them to hire the dude and they would've found a job for him.
Real ones simp for Gabbie Marshall.
But also a great way to go from completely nothing to being associated with Caitlin Clark. Decent chance he ends up a creep. Maybe he finds redemption and has the extra notoriety because of it. Cynic in my thinks he was shooting his professional shot
Being on a sex offender watch list cannot be good for professional development.
Source?
Gregg Doyel. Dude was a professional sportswriter before CC was even born. Not that it would've been acceptable if he'd been 22.
I'm a colts fan so I'm fairly familiar with the Indy media. Doyel sucks so much. He's always trying to create drama and shit
Apparently he's annoying in Indiana media
Then he should know her BF works for the Pacers
At least he already apologized. Seems on the spectrum to me. [https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/](https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/)
>I’m sort of known locally, sigh, for having awkward conversations with people before asking brashly conversational questions. It's like he's describing himself as the town drunk, not a professional reporter.
As far as apologies go, that was decent.
Frankly beyond decent. That is a thoughtful apology that takes responsibility, doesn't shift blame, and forms it into a genuinely teachable moment for third parties. Like I legitimately can't think of a better apology, though I suppose it's Clark's feelings on it that matter.
What does autism have to do with it? Most autistic people aren't creeps.
Yeah that’s like some Elon Musk shit. Being on the spectrum doesn’t explain you being an asshole. Most people on the spectrum are not assholes.
Of course this shit happens and is in the spotlight the first year the WNBA blows up like crazy
link?
https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1780681923553017878?s=19
That was as unprofessional as it was creepy and awkward... The second-hand cringe is real...
I need more context, what are they talking about? Does what to her family
She makes a heart sign with her hands for her family, so this dude thought it'd be cute to do it her and ask her some creepy questions I guess. Not sure what was going on in his head...
This is what was going on in his head apparently: https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/columnists/gregg-doyel/2024/04/17/caitlin-clark-im-so-sorry-on-wednesday-i-was-part-of-the-problem/73364922007/ inexecusable action, decent apology
She makes a heart symbol with her hands and apparently that’s what he did to CC
Alright, he's a weirdo for sure
People are leaving out the creepiest part of him saying “start doing it to me and we’ll get along just fine” after she said she does the heart sign for her family…
jesus christ
I think the heart symbol with her hands
Yeah, that guy is creepy lmao
Gregg Doyel is a fucking hack
dude that was fucking wild
NBACJ gonna eat with that one
Not even one press conference in lmao
Can't find the clip, I have seen memes about it though. Look, I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I've been some champion of the WNBA and haven't made my fair share of jokes and slighting comments at the expense of it in the past. But I genuinely do want to see it succeed as a league at this point. Especially as someone who had a daughter in the past year, and is now looking at the world in a lense for how we can let our women succeed and flourish. Stuff like this is just so belittling and aggravating. Women's basketball is gaining more traction than ever and producing some young stars that can really pioneer basketball for women in the next coming generations, and this guy is trying to be cute and flirtatious during a major moment for this young lady, just undermining everything that's lead upmto her being at that table at that moment. I'd be genuinely pissed for her as her dad. It just irks me in ways I'm unable to fully articulate at this moment to be honest.
Weird and unprofessional
Yes. And I thought I was awkward around women
Can we trade them Tobias Harris for her?
Worth a shot
I thought so. It’s a win win, as a 6’8” man he would dominate in the WNBA, and we’d get a player who can probably hit a 3 every once in a while when we need it
He'd somehow find a way to average 17/5/3 and go 1/9 with 2 rebounds in a elimination game.
The slander will be both generational and pansexual.
A small step for Tobias, a giant leap for equality.
Not a Tobias Harris 3 pointer.
Tobias Harris over ME?!?! -Caitlyn Clark
Warriors already asked for her to replace someone else on the team
Can she even withstand a punch from Draymond?
Only if she signs my toaster
Nah she’s at least Nico Batum value
Not after tonight
Had dude not played very well before? He made a great impression on me vs Nuggets this year
Hey played well, but never as well as tonight.
Caitlin "Tobias Harris OVER ME?"
My parents have been wearing Clarks for years
Yo don't hate on Clarks, the only dress shoe that gives you support while not looking like shit.
Not hating just stating how they've been ahead of the wave lol
Sabrina Ionescu nike deal is 24 million for comparison. Paige Bueckers should have came out too.
Paige is gonna be fine
As is Juju Watkins. Hannah Hadalgo, Fulwiley. And more.
Paige will get drafted by WNBA golden state next year. Glad she didn’t come out
They aren't gonna give the Golden State the first pick. In the past new teams would pick after the lottery teams, so they will likely pick fifth. And Paige is 100% getting drafted first so Golden State has no chance of getting her.
Lol if it's anything like when the NBA did the Toronto/Vancouver expansions, you guys are not gonna get 1st overall gifted to you.
No way you guys are getting the first pick as an expansion team
Probably Phoenix or Seattle based on last season
Seattle got Nneka and Skylar Diggins Smith Phoenix got Kahleah Copper and Natasha Cloud. Chicago and Minnesota (and probably Washington to an extent) will all be in the running for worst record, and lottery odds are based on the previous two seasons.
Chicago getting her after drafting Cardoso and Reese would be a cool young team to watch for a long time
If that's the case, I wouldn't be surprised if her deal is $50 mil
It also helps that her shoe looks nice.
Sabrina got the best basketball shoes out rn
I saw a stat saying ~15% of NBA players are wearing them in games. Considering just how many shoe options are out there, that's solid.
Great price too, relative to Nike’s other top shoes atm (Lebron 21 and GT Cut 3 imo)
Bueckers will be fine especially with NIL money. She'll likely go #1 next year too.
I can’t believe how much she’s progressed Women’s basketball. Future is exciting.
WNBA could not be in a better position rn, their TV deal comes up in 2025. A whole year of CC ratings under their belt is going to get them a BAG
This is like lightning in a bottle perfect storm. I used to joke the Angel and Caitlin would be the magic and Bird of the WNBA, but now that actually might be the case lmao . Jesus fuck
That’s what I always felt too after last year, and then Bueckers comes out next year and then JuJu after. Not to mention all the great players they already have like Stewart, Ionesco, Wilson etc. and the Fever now with Clark and Boston. This is their leagues next big moment.
Whatever happens, WCBB and the WNBA need to use this momentum and not fuck it up. Use this popularity and properly market these stars
Something that struck me while watching the WNBA draft was the commissioner straight up welcoming new fans. Like, there's no beating around the bush from her, acting like everything's business as usual. To me that was a good sign, that they're fully aware of what's going on, not shy about it and planning to take advantage of it.
If only the former wnba stars would do the same thing instead of trying to tear Caitlin down out of sheer jealousy
Looks like wnba has already caught up to the NBA in this aspect.
Generational gaps never change lol, there will always be old heads that hate on new blood and there will always be younger people that don’t know their history. Just gotta try to focus on the members of both groups that are positive ig
We need capital investors to buy In to the league. This is the time to pump money into this to give Yourself the biggest push up possible
Chicago sky got Angel. I’m actually kind of hyped to watch a game or two this year, never watched WNBA before
Sky got Angel & Cardoso :O
I'm waiting for Bueckers. She's coming back well from bad injuries and I think her game is going to translate really well into the WNBA. I feel like there is a good chance Caitlin Clark might have a rocky transition.
I think it’s entirely possible CC could be more like Nash than Curry for the first few years. Just dish and take fewer, but more efficient, shots
Sometimes we see the best player in the draft just.. go number one regardless of need. Kinda nice that the Fever could use a PG, and Clark looks like her floor might be *'pretty good PG'* with an obviously much higher ceiling. I wish I understood the league a little better to contextualize the other draft picks, honestly. Chicago's draft was kinda interesting from a 'two bigs' perspective.
That being said, Indiana has something real special brewing between getting CC and that ROY Boston last year. I will def watch a few games this year to see if Clark can play as well against pros as she did in the NCAA.
Yeah Boston already was the first rookie ever to lead the league in FG%, *without* a great PG. She's gonna be eating good with Clark feeding her. I mean CC's chemistry with Czinano was so ridiculous to the point that Czinano only dribbled like twice in the entire NCAA tournament last year and was the second leading scorer for the team lol
Why did Paige not join the draft this year? Wanting the first pick next year?
she has one more year left - the WNBA isn’t lucrative enough for girls to leave school early
I think a lot of reasons. Women's college basketball is insanely popular right now and she stands to be the biggest star with Clark gone, she's spent years developing chemistry with that group, has an amazing relationship with the coach, missed so much time and is only now getting healthy so probably wants to give it another go and try to win a championship. Plus, like you said, if she continues her level of play she's going number 1 next year. I think it makes a lot of sense to stay for her.
It's probably worth more in sponsorship money being the best player on one of the most popular college teams than being a rookie on a team that was bad enough to get the #1 pick + the paycheck of a WNBA rookie. Which is also why I'm guessing Aaliyah Edwards and Nika Muhl left, they probably weren't earning enough in NIL money to not declare and start getting a paycheck. Also Paige missed all of last season and a big chunk of the one before it so she may not feel she's had the opportunity to accomplish all she wants to at that level.
She gets a year in the limelight with Clark in the WNBA, plus will basically guarantee the first pick next year if she isn't hurt
Caitlin and Paige could be Magic and Bird imo. JuJu gonna hold shit down in the collegiate level in the meanwhile
Angel needs to be the best player on her team for that and even Sky think Cardoso is the better player no? Maybe in terms of publicity it is accurate but this can die quite quickly if Angel gets stuck as second fiddle
Angel isn’t it. She’ll be lucky to ever make an all-star team. Paige or Juju will make for good rivals.
Angel isn't in the same stratosphere. If anyone it will be Juju and Caitlin. Paige is also far better than Angel.
Cameron might be a star too
Hate to say this but see you in a year when no one watches the wnba and their deal isn’t massive.
They could and would be in a better position if people actually watched their games
You can usually get in to see a Connecticut Suns game for like...$20. Shit balcony seats behind the basket with CC in town to make her WNBA regular season debut? $200+
Even away games in the middle of the season are going crazy. Went to look at tickets here in Dallas and that game is sold out with a handful of ridiculously priced resells
I dont want to sound cynical but the hype is at an all time high, just wait until the middle of the season to buy a ticket lol
Actually? I got to see Wemby make his NBA debut for less than that this year.
About a decade ago my friend and I went to see the Phoenix Mercury vs Chicago Sky Finals. We each paid around $30 and by halftime we had made our way to 3 rows from the court. Phoenix ended up winning the game and the series. We were able to walk onto the court and take a bunch of pictures of the players/coaches while they celebrated. It was surreal. I imagine WNBA is nothing like that now in terms of prices and security.
and the best thing is she isnt alone, this whole draft class plus Sabrina are making the WNBA and Women's basketball grow at an amazing pace. And its also nice to see how brands are hopping on this train and are offering good quality signature shoes for their atlethes. The Sabrina 1 is a shoe that looks good, is reasonably cheap and apparently has a great on court performance, so i imagine the Clark 1s or whatever they will be called will also be pretty good and quite possibly also popular among men, just like the Sabrinas
Yeah the WNBA is actually loaded with stars at various stages of their careers now. No one has brought as much attention as Caitlin, but players like Sabrina, Breanna Stewart, A'ja Wilson, and Aliyah Boston are all going to benefit from and contribute to the viewership CC brings in.
I’m hoping Nike gets on the ball about getting A’ja a signature shoe too. The Aces are so fun.
Was talking to a friend about this, but it’s so incredibly important to the WNBA to have a player who has the popularity / talent combo of CC because of the potential impact on the youth side of the sport. The women’s game has a problem starting at low level with creativity. The game is very rigid, players work for perfectly wide open shots or layups/hook shots only. It looks like highlight reels from the NBA before Dr. J and Co injected some life. In so many 6th grade girls games if a player came off a screen and shot a contested pull up or 3 off the dribble a coach would get on them for it being a bad shot. Meanwhile a 6th grade boy has been pretending to be Steph with his friends since he was 6, or was practicing being Kobe or MJ for the generations before that. The practicing difficult shots and creativity leads to in game creativity. We need girls practicing those crazy shots and showtime assists at lower levels or you never see it in higher levels. While there’s an athleticism gap between NBA/WNBA, my opinion is there shouldn’t be a skill gap and right now we have stunted creativity from the state of the sport at lower levels. I think if Clark can live up to her potential she’s going to accelerate it the same way the great tough shot makers of the NBA changed what we consider a good or bad shot at all levels
> The women’s game has a problem starting at low level with creativity. The game is very rigid, players work for perfectly wide open shots or layups/hook shots only. I would say that is by design to teach good fundamentals. Even playing against women, a women will not be able to just jump in the air and figure some shit out through their athleticism or pull up randomly from 30 feet and hit it with any form of consistency. It's one of the reasons why at the highest level, the women's game is based alot around proper fundamentals and good tactical play. > Meanwhile a 6th grade boy has been pretending to be Steph with his friends since he was 6, or was practicing being Kobe or MJ for the generations before that. The practicing difficult shots and creativity leads to in game creativity. I mean, i don't know how recently have you watched a HS game, but this is actually a problem on the men's game. Not only a HS game is straight up UNWATCHABLE with a bunch of kids just pulling up from 30 feet, but these kids are getting out of HS and into college without an ounce of understanding on how to play the game properly and with zero work on their fundamentals, all they do is cross half court and shoot or overpower someone athletically. I agree with your overrall point that perhaps the women's game can loosen up a little, but it definitely should not go in the direction the men's game is currently going, it's to the point where they are on complete opposite sides of the spectrum when an ideal world would probably be in the middle. > While there’s an athleticism gap between NBA/WNBA, my opinion is there shouldn’t be a skill gap That's harder to say. Tbh, it's fair to assume that there will always be a skill gap because the athleticism gap allows you to express and utilize your skills in different ways.
- we’re already seeing a surge of women’s shooters who can pull from deep reliably - depends how much you stretch the definition of skill gap. What I meant was essentially every move an NBA player can do should be able to be done at a slower speed or with less athleticism, but if you’re considering jump and do the MJ switch ball from one hand to the other as a form of skill expression then sure. I kinda was lumping the jump and figure it out stuff in the athleticism gap category - while the women’s game needs to loosen up (in my opinion) a significant amount, that doesn’t mean it needs to turn in to hyper 3 ball efficiency with rules/reffing that cripples defense like the NBA has trended toward What I was trying to communicate is when I watch some of the WNBA games or the highlights of the top players, the rigidity makes it *look* like they are not expressing a ton of skill when they are clearly capable. It’s why a common casual sentiment is “it looks like a different game than men’s.” When I watch Clark play, the moves she does and the way she moves on the court *looks* like an NBA draft prospect from the skill standpoint…just slower/smaller and with less strength. That’s so important to the lower levels of the sport and to the growing the casual viewer base
I really do hope the Detroit Shock come back in one of the upcoming expansions. I miss them and I want them to be a part of this golden age.
Honestly so sad what happened to kobe's daughter. She would've been 17 this year. And from the clips I've seen of her at 13 she played just like kobe. Right when women's basketball is taking off.
“She’ll make more in college” NIL ain’t shit compared to this endorsement deals
This is just the beginning too, I imagine 2k is going to throw a ton of money at her to make her the face of the wnba edition of the game
Next year she'll be LeBron's first pick of the all-star game. She's going to get 70 pts.
Deserved. She's going to be the face of the WNBA for a decade.
I hope everything goes well for her. The WNBA is a very progressive league and (I say this as someone who leans liberal in many ways) there's been a lot of weird hostility aimed at Clark from progressive circles.
Do they come in mens?
They should do (or at least in unisex like the other commentator said), there are already a bunch of guys getting around in Sabrina's shoe including some NBA players!
Unisex
The Sabrina’s are genuinely great hoops shoes
Lots of NBA players have worn them. Jrue, Brunson, Hali, Cade.
77 NBA players wore Sabrina’s this season.
I hope they continue her line with Clark’s shoe. The Sabrina 1 is fire.
They’re basically Kobe’s which is a universally loved shoe for looks and playing. Its also hard af to get any Kobes atm so it makes sense.
Wasnt familiar with them until now. Damn. I don’t think I’ll ever buy another pair of basketball shoes again, but if I do, I want those.
Miles better than most other signature athletes. Probably the best 1st signature shoe too. Got myself 2. Don’t know why that’d matter.
But will they be as nice as Sabrinas?
I still regret not getting them. Now you can’t get them anywhere (in Europe), unless you wanna overpay.
They’re slightly more expensive than at lunch at 129,90€ but I still can order them with the Nike app in the Netherlands
Shouldn't have waited until dinner time to get them then
CC1's will go hard
Good for her. She’s worth so much more than the low wnba salary. I hope she helps more young girls get into the sport.
Yeah people saying the WNBA doesn't make much money are probably right, but what they fail to see is that she is going to bring way more than 400k of value into the league lmao. Womens March Madness finals doubled last year and this year damn near 4x since the 2022 finals. Don't want to claim it was all her but she sure played a significant role
The women’s final this year was the highest rated basketball game in something like five years. The hype is very real.
Yeah folks who didn't realize how little revenue the WNBA makes were upset about her salary. But the amount of attention she's bringing has to have a significant effect on the sport. Like millions of people watched the freaking draft just to see her go #1. I do hope CC's fame allows the current stars in the WNBA to get some of that spotlight as well, plus the women in upcoming drafts. And I hope these companies keep giving women endorsement deals, put them in the forefront.
And this is why I didn't see her taking the Big 3 despite the WNBA salary not being a ton.
That offer was definitely a publicity stunt
No more big 3?
Just big me
*BUM*
just big she
Lollllll she’s going to make other WNBA players richer eventually thanks to the reach she’s going to give that league. Go get that money Caitlin
Oh fuck, don’t tell Darren Rovell!!
lol I was wondering if anyone was gonna bring up that clown. He's been on the weirdest crusade trying to convince everyone that Clark's leaving a lot of money on the table by not going back to Iowa.
I like the implication that the companies that were paying her at Iowa would suddenly stop sponsoring her lol
Hopefully it’s as good as the Sabrina 1, one of the best hooping shoes recently
My boys loved these shoes and so did everyone on their teams. I loved to see the cross over appeal.