The Indiana Fever got their superstar, their heart and soul, back on Friday against the New York Liberty, and she didn’t miss a beat. After being sidelined for three weeks with a quad strain, Caitlin Clark returned with a bang, making it clear to the rest of the league that her game is still very much intact. The six-foot guard put up 32 points, 9 assists, and 8 rebounds in her comeback, lighting it up from beyond the arc. And honestly, performances like this are becoming a regular sight from the Fever’s rising star.
In her first year in the league, CC managed to bring in the ROTY award, topped the assists leaderboard, and earned All-WNBA First Team and All-Star selections. Even more impressive was the fact that the Fever guard ended up 4th in MVP voting last year, coming close to Candace Parker’s nigh-unbreakable record. However, it has not been easy for her.
Ever since her legendary college run, Caitlin Clark has been at the receiving end of a lot of criticism and pessimism. Legends of the game have doubted her game and her ability to cope up at the highest level. One of the best examples is when Diana Taurasi spoke with Scott Van Pelt, and gave the infamous ‘reality is coming’ dialogue. However, there was one particular interview that shook the world, and that is now being called out by Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy.
Did Geno Auriemma have the worst take in the history of sports? pic.twitter.com/zbACpCxjSG
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) June 15, 2025
Geno Auriemma, the NCAA legend, has been quite vocal about Caitlin Clark’s success over the last few years, but his thoughts about her transition to the WNBA are receiving quite a lot of flak. Coach Geno, on the Dan Patrick Show last year, talked about how the narratives were setting Clark up for failure. “The delusional fan base that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she’s going to go in that league and tear it apart.” He said. “Diana said it best, ‘this kid’s in for a rude awakening,’ and they all jumped over her but they didn’t read the whole thing that she said, but nobody’s printing that you know Diana Taurasi is right. This kid’s on the wrong team, she’s got the wrong skill set to handle the physicality of that league.” Auriemma’s words offered a deep reflection on the CC situation before the Indiana rookie played all too many games in the W.
Obviously, we’ve seen a lot of her game since then and it’s quite clear–she’s built for the pros! Many of her haters were turned into supporters, and the effect she had on the league was quite beautiful. However, Dave Portnoy decided it was time to rewind the clock to Coach Geno’s words after CC’s 32 point performance, posting a video of Saturday’s highlights with Auriemma’s comments voicing over it. “Did Geno Auriemma have the worst take in the history of sports?” His tweet read, and the fans made sure to voice their agreement.
WNBA fans react to Geno Auriemma’s controversial take on Caitlin Clark’s professional beginnings
Social media went wild after Portnoy posted this video. Within just 5 hours, the tweet logged over 650k views, and nearly 9000 likes! But more importantly, an important discourse had started in the replies section, with CC supporters rallying together against this highly polarizing take on the Indiana Fever star.
Some fans pointed out that these comments might be coming because of Caitlin Clark not going to UConn. Although the six-foot-tall point guard did express interest in becoming a Husky, there was none from Auriemma’s end. And after the career that she had in college? Fans believe he might be regretting his decision!
“Somebody was butt-hurt that CC didn’t go to UConn.” A fan said on X, and it honestly tracks. In her four years at Iowa, CC was a 2x POTY, 3x unanimous first-team All-American, and made two straight championship games. She ended up averaging 28.4 points per game throughout her collegiate career, and even broke the Division I scoring record! So it ended up being a very common theory that coach Geno was upset that he missed out on one of the all-time greats. “Geno Auriemma so so salty that Caitlin Clark didn’t play for UConn. Very obvious.” Another X user said.
However, some people came to Auriemma’s defense. “It was a 10 minute interview. He said the same thing about Paige. That she is going to struggle physically. Which she did in her rookie year. Just like Paige is now.” This particular reply was referencing Caitlin Clark’s struggles against the rough play that she encountered in her rookie year. We could clearly see that she had issues battling against screens and holding her own in the paint. However, would it be fair to say that she struggled overall?
Jul 20, 2024; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Team WNBA guard Caitlin Clark (22) against the USA Women’s National Team during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Considering that CC ended up averaging 19.2 points, 8.4 assists, and nearly 6 rebounds a game while playing all 40 fixtures… there might be an argument to the contrary. The fan support for Caitlin Clark was quite great under Portnoy’s post. “Thats Crazy! WOW… She could play in the NBA… like seriously.” A user said, echoing sentiments that we’ve consistently seen with Clark fans. While another pointed out the impact that CC has had on the league.
Caitlin Clark’s rookie season created a lot of opportunities for the W. Viewership, tickets, merchandise sales, everything ballooned to massive proportions. Moreover, chartered flights for WNBA players were introduced, and endorsement opportunities massively increased. So, when a fan said, “Anyone who doesn’t think CC changed the WNBA has no idea what they are talking about.” They might have hit the nail on the head!
There’s no doubt that Caitlin Clark has been proving her haters wrong left, right, and center throughout her entire basketball career. However, such takes mean something else when they come from legends like coach Geno. Although the UConn head coach triggered the internet by saying all of this, he is actually quite supportive of CC’s talent! Nevertheless, we can’t wait to see what kind of a career the Indiana Fever star truly ends up having. Will she be one of the all-time greats in the WNBA? Only time will tell.
The post Caitlin Clark’s 32-Point Return Triggers Outcry as Geno Auriemma Faces Bold Barstool Callout appeared first on EssentiallySports.