Caitlin Clark is NOT hated by her basketball rivals, claims WNBA legend - who offers her own theory on Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter clashes

WNBA fable Sue Bird insisted that Caitlin Clark is not hated by her competitors while praising nan Indiana Fever rookie's effect connected nan league. 

The No 1 wide prime has been nan catalyst for nan WNBA's soaring fame arsenic viewership and attendance numbers person surgery records clip and clip since her entry. However, nan hard-fought battles connected nan tribunal person led to immoderate fans crying foul complete players 'targeting' nan erstwhile Iowa star. 

Speaking connected Sarah Spain's Good Game podcast connected iHeartRadio, Bird acknowledged nan magnitude of Clark's presence into nan league. Furthermore, she claims nan mendacious cognition is created by media members. 

'Caitlin will spell down as, immoderate you want to telephone it, nan 1 who made nan change, this pivotal person,' Bird said. 'She will, 100 per cent. But successful different leagues … it was ne'er for illustration erstwhile LeBron (James) came, 'Oh, Michael Jordan didn't matter.'

Bird alternatively suggested that Clark's infamous clashes pinch Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese were simply down to players being other competitory successful nan power of conflict - alternatively than underlying hatred.

'And for immoderate logic that happened, and it caused this full thing,' Bird said. 'When nan reality was, nary subordinate felt that measurement toward Caitlin, everybody was very welcoming and inviting, and (media) mistook competitory talk for hate, pinch hating connected somebody.' 

The deficiency of anterior WNBA knowledge from sports personalities talking astir nan convention has resulted successful sadistic takes astir Clark's reception successful nan league. 

An infamous illustration would beryllium Robert Griffin III claiming that Clark and Reese were 'being utilized successful a title war' successful June. 

Before nan outrageous claim, much bad takes sprung from Reese's teammate , Carter, shoving Clark during their June 1 matchup. In their adjacent meeting, Clark took a forearm to nan look from Reese arsenic she went of for a basket. 

However, four-time WNBA champion and 13-time All-Star is convinced that WNBA players are reacting pinch a competitory cognition but without animosity. 

'I deliberation nan mostly of WNBA players pinch their play, pinch their talk, it was conscionable competition, not dislike for a person,' Bird said. 

'It's conscionable sports, but we person problem not being weird astir women successful sports — truthful we made it weird.' 

Despite their built-in WNBA rivalry, Clark and Reese will beryllium joining forces this play pinch nan WNBA All-Star squad arsenic they return connected Team USA up of nan Olympics. With nan masses' disappointment complete nan rookies being near retired of nan nationalist team, Bird precocious offered words of encouragement for Clark and Reese. 

'For me, a batch of my moments, a batch of my hardships, I guess, came successful nan shape of injuries. And each it did was motivate maine to get backmost connected nan tribunal moreover better, moreover stronger,' nan five-time Olympic golden medalist said connected Distractify. 

'I ever joke like, there's virtually nary title squad that astir apt didn't suffer dramatically. And by dramatic, I mean, you spell location successful tears-type vibes. There's nary squad that didn't suffer earlier they won, right?' 

'In a sense, you benignant of person to person these moments that springiness you information to beryllium capable to proceed to achieve,' Bird added. 'So I'm judge for Caitlin [and] for Angel, it's only going to make them hungrier to beryllium connected nan adjacent Olympic team. It'll beryllium breathtaking erstwhile they get there.'