Why Do Y’all Hate Caitlin Clark So Much?

We've never seen a generational (yes, generational) talent like Caitlin Clark be this polarizing of a figure in sports early in a career. You may combat that statement by mentioning a guy like LeBron James, who has a significant amount of haters but the majority of those haters have a great deal of respect for him as well. His hate was also built up over time. When it comes to Caitlin Clark, there's been a lot of hate and disrespect off the bat. Fans are going to be fans and say whatever they want whether it's based off facts or opinions but when former and current players are piling on as well, you have to stop and evaluate the situation. 

You don't have to like Caitlin Clark or her play style but you definitely have to recognize and acknowledge what she's done for the game of women's basketball. No other college athlete in the past 25 years has transcended their sport like Clark has. Women's college basketball is at its peak in popularity right now and that's on the back of Clark. As Dawn Staley said after the national championship, Clark is undisputedly one the greatest of all time in the sport but not everyone likes to hear that. 

Let us briefly go down some of the responses from the legends of women's basketball to Caitlin's play on the court. Sheryl Swoopes tried to invalidate her scoring record with incorrect statements, Diana Taurasi sent a warning to Clark about her future in the WNBA, Breanna Stewart said Clark needed a championship to be considered an all-time great, and Lynette Woodard said Clark didn't break her scoring record because Clark didn't play with men's basketball and without a 3-point line. These are four legends in women's basketball refusing to uplift someone who has helped changed the game instead they're nitpicking her legacy. Clark on the other hand is quick to acknowledge the groundwork that was laid before her. 

So why do so many people disrespect Caitlin Clark? Is it a race thing? Do people believe she's overrated? Do people think she's too cocky? The Complex Sports sat down to answer some of these questions.

If you don’t rock with Caitlin Clark game you’re just a FLAT OUT HATER!!!!! Stay far away from them people!! PLEASE

— LeBron James (@KingJames) April 7, 2024

X/Twitter: @KingJames

Is it a Race Thing?

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It’s hard to say that it isn’t considering the country we live in. Whether people want to admit it or not, almost everything in this country can be boiled down to race and privileges that white Americans benefit from that African Americans historically don’t benefit from. Add in the extra layer of African American women notoriously being underrepresented and marginalized and the conversation surrounding Caitlin Clark’s greatness can become even more complex. Especially considering the legends that she is being compared to and even placed ahead of are predominantly African American women, as well as the two teams she has faced in the national title in consecutive years were lead by predominantly African American women rosters and faces. 

With all of that being said, I do think that she unfairly became the face of an online race war that she didn’t ask for. She doesn’t speak negatively about anybody, isn’t disrespectful, but somehow she has become the lightning rod of race debates on X (Twitter) by merely being great at basketball. The hate that he has received is misplaced, in my opinion. – Kam 

Let's be honest, we're all on social media. We've all seen the discourse when it's come to Iowa playing against LSU or South Carolina. I'm all for Black people winning and achieving great things ESPECIALLY my favorite coach Dawn Staley but when it comes to evaluating Caitlin Clark, race should not be a factor. We get it, she's a midwest white girl cooking everyone in a sport dominated by Black people. We get it, she plays at a predominantly white school with white teammates but it's weird to make a race thing when she's done nothing but show respect to everyone including Black stars like Angel Reese. When Reese was getting criticized for mocking Clark's hand gesture in front of her during last year's national championship, Clark came out and said she didn't deserve the criticism she was getting. – Zion

Is it Because Her Name is in Conversations With All-Time Greats?

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Listen, you always have to respect the legends that came before you. Caitlin said that herself. All the greats like Maya Moore, Sheryl Swoopes, Lynette Woodard, Breanna Stewart, Diana Taurasi, and many other names have set the foundation but a foundation is created to be built upon. Caitlin is a talent we've never seen before. She's producing numbers that we have never seen before and quite frankly, she's playing with less talent than a lot of these names. Iowa is no mid-major and they still collect top 100 talent in America but compared to the likes of UConn, LSU, and South Carolina, there's a big gap in recruiting. 

Yes, she didn't win a ring but can we add context to that? I'm sure if she went to UConn or SC, she'd have a ring but she's nearly willed her team on her back to a championship in back-to-back years. We can't deny her greatness. She's broken nearly every scoring record in the sport. Let's not penalize her for a team award in college when she's proved her greatness. It's annoying to see greats like Sheryl Swoopes, Lynette Woodard, Diana Taurasi, and Breanna Stewart not embrace Clark for what she's done. – Zion 

Most definitely. When somebody is breaking records and being compared to icons that we grew up watching and generations before us saw build a sport to prominence, there will always be some sort of pushback against new names being thrown in the conversation. It’s no different than LeBron James being added in the GOAT convo as his career progressed and passing the likes of Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird in the eyes of the public and other icons to be placed at the table with Michael Jordan. When somebody comes along that passes the iconic names of the past, it will inevitably lead to some uncomfortable conversations, and possibly even over-the-top hate. – Kam

take notes diana taurasi, breanna stewart, and lynette woodward. THIS is how u give flowers and empower woman’s hoops pic.twitter.com/cj0jBhCyYn

— Teddy💛 (@Teddy_20) April 7, 2024

X/Twitter: @Teddy_20

Do You Think She's Too Cocky?

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To be honest, I don’t think she is cocky enough. Angel Reese is cocky, and has earned the right to be with the resume and body of work she has amassed in her four years in college. She is one of the most dominant and decorated players of a generation and delivered a national title to LSU when they had never won one before. And truth be told, I think the game is better when you have a dynamic personality like Angel Reese in it, it’s much more entertaining. If Caitlin Clark were just as cocky as Reese, it would be well deserved and well within her right. The fact that she hardly speaks at all from what we see tells me she isn’t as cocky as she could be. Lord knows if I were as good as any of these women at basketball, I would be unbearable on the court, and even to my detractors on social media. – Kam

NO! We are the same basketball fans that celebrate and laugh at Steph Curry's shimmy & gallop down court after threes. We praise Kobe and Michael Jordan for their killer mentality and always wanting to smack talk. Heck, we compare Anthony Edwards to MJ because of it! We are the same fans that criticize players for being too friendly in basketball culture today. Caitlin Clark's on-court gestures and confidence is what we ask for daily so why would we hold it against her. She's competitive and she has earned the right to talk her talk because at the end day, you can't stop her. – Zion

Is it Because You Think She's Overrated or Overhyped?

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I just don't get how you can call her overrated. She just averaged 32-7-9 with every defense keying in on her. She's a talent we've never seen before in the women's game. She's brought attention to the game like nobody else. Like Dawn Staley said, she's one of the greatest to ever play. All the record-breaking television ratings included games revolving around Caitlin Clark. Sure, she doesn't have a ring but that doesn't away from what she's done for the game and what she's produced on the court. 

I mean, she dropped 18 points in the first quarter of a national championship game against undefeated South Carolina. You'd think the discourse would be about her performance. Nope, most people were complaining that refs were blatantly favoring Iowa. Instead of uplifting a great performance, we are finding ways to belittle it. – Zion

I honestly think she is appropriately rated. Whether you think she is the GOAT is your own prerogative, but she has forced her way into the conversation and is not out of place. The NCAA’s all-time leading scorer for men’s and women’s basketball as well as one of the greatest passers we have seen means she belongs in the conversation. Factor in that she took a program that had one Final Four appearance in their programs history before she arrived to two consecutive national championship games, it’s hard to see how you can slight her. She might not have won the national title, but you can’t say she isn’t a winner. 

She defeated an undefeated South Carolina team in a Final Four, got even with the LSU team that beat her in the national title to advance to the Final Four this year, and then bested the player most directly compared to her in Paige Bueckers to reach the national championship this season. If you are trying to slight her and knock her down, I don’t understand it. If you recognize her greatness while also believing somebody like Breanna Stewart or Maya Moore or Sheryl Swoopes or Candance Parker is better, you’re not wrong at all. – Kam

This article was originally published on Complex.com.