WNBA commentator and former WNBA star Sheryl Swoopes clanged one off the rim Monday as she tried to insist she was not one of Caitlin Clark’s prime haters.
Clark entered the WNBA as the savior of women’s basketball, which put many established WNBA players’ noses out of joint. Her early games with the Indiana Fever, coming weeks after wrapping up her college career with Iowa, were a period of transition, leading many to say the hype was overrated. The fact that Clark is white has inserted a jagged-edge racial component to the debate over her abilities, as well.
Swoopes has chimed in here and there, getting Clark’s numbers wrong or giving other Fever players a shout-out and ignoring Clark, for which she was recently called out by ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
On Sunday, as noted by Awful Announcing, the Dallas-based commentator did not appear when the Fever came to town to defeat the Dallas Wings. Instead, WNBA legend Nancy Lieberman replaced Swoopes.
ITS CONFIRMED. Sheryl Swoopes was supposed to call the Fever game yesterday, but because she cannot act like a professional commentator, she was replaced by Nancy Lieberman. Swoopes has some vendetta against a 22 year old girl who has done nothing but revere her. Her legacy is… pic.twitter.com/7YLXObD0cM
— Ken Swift (@kenswift) September 2, 2024
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One day later, Swoopes was trying to show that she and Clark were the best of pals, leaking some DMs on X.
“Was having a convo with two Caitlin fans(actually nice ones) and sent this to them regarding me reaching out to CC back in February,” Swoopes posted.
Was having a convo with two Caitlin fans(actually nice ones) and sent this to them regarding me reaching out to CC back in February. https://t.co/6Kqi3dlHg4
— Sheryl Swoopes (@airswoopes22) September 2, 2024
Has Caitlin Clark been treated unfairly by some in the WNBA?
The screenshots show Swoopes apologizing for some of her comments, claiming she just made a mistake.
“Hey Caitlin! I wanted to personally reach out to you and say I made a mistake on what year this is for you. Covid year has me all confused…Lol! I also have nothing but respect for you and your game and appreciate your skill. Congrats on everything you have accomplished thus far. Be blessed,” Swoopes wrote.
Clark reponded by writing, “no worries at all I appreciate you reaching out and there’s no hard feelings. I appreciate all you have done for women’s bball and for inspiring girls like me and building the foundation and platform we have today!”
The leaked messages brought more condemnation for Swoopes.
“Sheryl Swoopes demonstrated poor judgment by sharing the screenshots, leading people to question her motives once again,” Alejandro Avila wrote on Outkick.
Social media largely agreed with Avila’s take:
Blasting somebody publicly but then apologizing in private is what weak spirited people do. You made a mistake in public, make it right in public. That’s how ethical people conduct their business. You’re too busy blaming her fans for your poor conduct. It’s sad. Do better.
— Ben Bessman (@Coach_Bessman) September 2, 2024
I’m not going to lie this isn’t really what you think it is cos if you can say this in private and then when it comes to public time, you keep quiet and never say anything positive about her, then it’s pretty obvious it isn’t genuine.
More like manipulation
— @grtinho (@grtinho) September 2, 2024
Lieberman, meanwhile, added to the voices raised against Swoopes during an appearance on Smith’s ESPN show in which she talked of how she tried to speak to Swoopes about her anti-Clark rants.
“You know, there was this quote by Sheryl that said ‘Caitlin was 25 years old, she was a fifth-year senior, she was taking 40 shots a game, her record was illegitimate,’” Lieberman said in a video posted to X.
“I got off the treadmill, and I called her as a friend and said ‘you can say whatever you want, you can have your own opinion about anybody, but you do have to get the statistics right, facts matter.’ If you did get ahead of this and say ‘hey, I made a mistake on my numbers,’ then this thing is over and everybody respects you for your opinion.”
Nancy Lieberman on the Stephen A Smith Show discussing how she called Sheryl Swoopes to discuss her comments on Caitlin Clark pic.twitter.com/bSIvI3TVvw
— correlation (@nosyone4) September 2, 2024
“Well, she got upset with me on the phone and I was like ‘Sheryl, I’m not doing anything to hurt you, we’re just sharing, we’re talking,’ and so our relationship is pretty much, is not happening at this point. I tried talking to her at the Final Four, she didn’t want to talk to me,” Lieberman said.
Lieberman added: “My life is going to be good or great with or without Sheryl Swoopes in my life.”
Swoopes indicated on X she was not ready to heal the feud.
“Now here you go! I get what you trying to do wit ya boy Stephen A. Smith but it ain’t working,” Swoopes wrote. “You know good and well what happened. And ditto…my life is good without you too(and him). You wanna go there?”
