Hall of Famer reiterates Caitlin Clark’s impact while slamming jealous WNBA veterans: “C’mon you big dummies!”

Many in the WNBA believed Caitlin Clark was enjoying the fame due to her race instead of her abilities as a basketball player.

Hall of Famer reiterates Caitlin Clark’s impact while slamming jealous WNBA veterans: “C’mon you big dummies!”

Cheryl Miller and WNBA star Caitlin Clark

Ever since Caitlin Clark became the talk of the women’s basketball world, veteran and retired players have been caught disregarding her achievements. They believed her game was not going to translate to the WNBA.

The likes of Sheryl Swoopes took it a step further by suggesting that existing players will be looking to pounce on them, knowing the rookies are coming for their jobs. It seemed like the older players were hating on her even before she stepped foot on a WNBA court.

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When it seemed like it was just limited to retired players who were jealous of the attention Clark was receiving, rumors started to circulate that current veteran players were also not happy. Charles Barkley and LeBron James called out their pettiness.

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They believe the Indiana Fever rookie will collectively help the sport rise. As a result, current players will also come into the limelight. But those comments did not help stop that narrative. The hosts of All the Smoke podcast asked another veteran Cheryl Miller about this situation.

Come on, you big dummies! Is she getting hyped? Yes. But she was in the backyard. She was putting in the same time, and sometimes maybe more than you were. I can’t fault her for what she was given.

Cheryl Miller said

The Hall of Famer added that these other jealous current players are going to benefit from all the attention Clark is drawing. She in return asked what would have happened if the Fever rookie had failed, while also suggesting that some veterans and retired players were hoping Clark failed.

Cheryl Miller understands the ‘hate’

Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson asked Cheryl Miller how she saw Caitlin Clark up close during the All-Star weekend. Recalling her interaction, the two-time NCAA champion said.

I’m gonna be honest because it needs to be said, I can relate to that young lady and I felt for her. I know what it’s like to be a black woman and hated because of my color. I can’t imagine this young lady, I don’t wanna use hate, but despised.

Cheryl Miller said

The 61-year-old acknowledged that a narrative was spun to disregard Caitlin Clark’s college accolades. But she was happy that after the All-Star game and the Olympics break, the Indiana Fever rookie destroyed those narratives on her own.

Miller was happy that Clark used her skills to perfection on her way to garner MVP votes. That All-NBA callup dispelled any notion that the Iowa native was only famous due to her white privilege. Her basketball was good enough to garner all that fame.

Caitlin Clark’s ranked most influential female athlete

After her rookie WNBA season was over, Time Magazine awarded Caitlin Clark their ‘Athlete of the Year’. As usual, others in the league were not happy that the Fever star racked up an accolade that has never been won by anyone in the league before.

Even a billionaire owner disregarded her impact. She believed the league as a whole had grown. Therefore, they should collectively have been on that cover. That discourse drew irate responses from many in the sporting world. Now Complex has doubled down on her popularity.

They ranked her No. 1 in their ‘most influential female athlete’ list. They ranked her WNBA rival Angel Reese second. More importantly, Clark ranked above Simone Biles and Coco Gauff. This shows how highly the magazine rates the 23-year-old. They believe she moves the needle more than any other women athlete in the country.