Posted by 
Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) drives on Los Angeles Sparks guard Kia Nurse (10) in the second half of a WNBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)[/caption]
NBA legend Charles Barkley has continued his attack on how several WNBA stars have handled Caitlin Clark’s arrival.
The analyst has been a vocal critic of how Clark, 22, has been subjected to rough treatment since joining the league.
Caitlin Clark celebrates during a win over the Los Angeles Sparks[/caption]
Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark is closely guarded[/caption]
Charles Barkley discusses Caitlin Clark’s rookie season[/caption]
And he renewed his attack this week, accusing the Indiana Fever star’s rivals of “petty jealousness.”
“These ladies, and I am a WNBA fan, they cannot have f***ked this Caitlin Clark thing up any worse if they tried,” Barkley said on The Ringer’s Bill Simmons Podcast.
“If you got people in a room, a bunch of dudes in a room, we couldn’t have came up with a masterplan with what these women have done.
“This girl is incredible. What she did in college for women’s basketball, what she’s doing in the WNBA.
“The number of eyeballs she brought from the college to the pros and these women to have this petty jealousness, you say to yourself, ‘What is going on here?’”
Barkley did not name any names but Clark was on the receiving end of some hard fouls this season, including one from the Chicago Sky’s Chennedy Carter.
WNBA legend Sheryl Swoopes dismissed the rookie’s college achievements in February, leading to criticism from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith.
Swoopes’ critical attitude toward the former Iowa guard seemingly played a role in her removal from the broadcast crew for Sunday’s Fever-Dallas Wings game.
Ex-WNBA and NBA coach Nancy Lieberman replaced Swoopes on Bally Sports’ telecast.
Clark is also locked in a fierce battle with former college foe Angel Reese to be crowned Rookie of the Year.
Both superstars have broken records and Clark has been in blistering form since the Olympic break.
“The stuff about her is petty and jealous,” Barkley added.
“The thing I love about her, she never says a word.
“She’s playing much faster, much faster. She was playing too slow the first half of the season.
“When I watched her play the last month I think she’s playing much faster because she’s learning to trust those girls more.
“When she’s in college she’s not playing with a lot of great players.
“Now when you see her play, she’s playing without the ball. It reminded me a lot of Jason Kidd.
“He was the best I’ve seen playing without the basketball.
“There’s been so much negativity and a lot of it is just petty jealousness.”
Clark racked up 24 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in yesterday’s win over the Los Angeles Sparks.
