If success breeds hate, then Caitlin Clark might as well be public enemy number one because CC to the WNBA is what Taylor Swift is to Hollywood. Yet despite the noise, her fanbase remains unshakable. And if there’s any backlash, it’s not from the crowd. It’s coming from behind the desks at the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, better known as ESPN. There have been several incidents that point towards this take.
It all began when Carolyn Peck went viral in July ’24 for selecting Angel Reese for WNBA Rookie of the Year because she is putting up “grown woman numbers,” implying that Clark was not. To add to this, Monica McNutt also selected Angel Reese for WNBA Rookie of the Year over Clark last year in July. Her criteria for choosing Reese over Clark was that the Sky had a better record.
“My rookie of the year is going to go based on the standings,” McNutt said. “Because that is how I think you have the opportunity to measure impact. And the Sky right now are in the playoffs. You’d have to give the nod to Angel Reese.” Enter Shannon Sharpe, who called the two women out for spewing unnecessary hate. “There’s a lot of women that was on ESPN that had a lot to say earlier about it,” Sharpe said about Clark’s first WNBA season.
He added “They’ve gone quiet now… Y’all quiet now. Now I want somebody to send that to you, because you know who I’m talking about. I ain’t gonna call your name, but you know who you are.” Later both, Peck and McNutt came around. They accepted that the Fever and Caitlin Clark are a dangerous unit. McNutt specifically agreed that they are “Going to be a problem” for the opponents. However, you’d be wrong to thing that ESPN’s analysts’ negative takes ended there.
ESPN analyst Carolyn Peck says the Indiana Fever are more dangerous without Caitlin Clark.
Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/aj2itqAn19
— I talk hoops (@trendyhoopstars) July 4, 2025
Fast forward to this year, Elle Duncan had some very strong words about WNBA’s changed landscape because of Caitlin Clark’s fandom. She said, “You’re right…there has never been more viewership because of Caitlin Clark. There’s never been more attention. You’re right. But you know what there was in the WNBA last year and the years prior? There were other storylines, there was joy, there was talk of competition. There was talk of what was actually happening on the court.”
Speaking of what’s actually happening on the court, Carolyn Peck yet again made a controversial statement recently. In the context of Caitlin Clark’s absence due to back to back injuries (quad muscle followed by groin), she has shared an analysis about Indiana Fever’s performance. Peck’s take is that “the Indiana Fever are more dangerous without Caitlin Clark.” And as you have probably guessed already, it did not sit right with the fans. Let’s have a look at what people had to say…
The Internet Isn’t Buying ESPN’s Anti-Caitlin Clark Narrative…
Comparing team dynamics without a superstar isn’t new. If history is any proof, we already know that even the greatest squads can survive short stretches without their star player. However, thriving without them long-term? That’s a whole different story. And one fan correctly put things in perspective by commenting, “Could the Bulls win some games and spread the ball around more without Jordan? Yes. But were they a better, more dangerous, more winning team with him? Of course.”
Another person echoed the exact same sentiment, they just took a sarcastic route. “Lol. Like saying Warriors are more dangerous without Steph Curry if they win a few games without him.” Of course, same goes for Caitlin Clark and the Fever. Let’s not confuse momentary adjustments for long-term excellence. And that is exactly when it started to feel like a personal attack at CC by Carolyn. As one fan pointed out, “She’d never say that about ANY other player in the league.”
When similar narratives aren’t applied across the board, it stops being analysis and starts sounding more like bias. And some fans didn’t hold back to call out the reason behind that bias. They noticed some deeper undercurrents and said, “Peck spews racism towards Caitlin. It’s hard to play with pulled hamstrings and soft tissue injuries. Most of the women on ESPN encompass biased hate for Caitlin.”
Whereas some people even tried following a more rational approach. They stopped viewing the situation from a Clark tinted lens and shifted the focus to the overall environment. “I’d argue the off court drama with Bonner caused serious issues for this team. Having a healthy locker room with team chemistry is very important. They all simply look like they’re having more fun once that situation got resolved,” wrote one person. With this, they suggested that Indiana’s momentum had less to do with Clark’s absence and more to do with the removal of locker room tension.
Still, not every person commented from a place of outrage. Some calmly acknowledged the Fever franchise’s recent success in absence of Caitlin Clark, but also while having another strong opinion. “This may be true in the regular season. Playoffs may be a different picture,” one comment noted. “McDonald is a terror so far and the team reacts well to her play. I’d rather have a healthy CC when the heat gets hotter in the playoffs though.” It was a fair reminder that short-term wins are encouraging, but Caitlin Clark’s value should be judged when the stakes are highest.
Now, you might fall on either side of the debate. However, in situations like these, it’s worth avoiding the extremes. The players are human beings, and so are the analysts. As one fan cleverly put it, “The irrational part of the fan base is ready to Anne Boleyn Peck.” Maybe let’s not go full Tudor court on anyone just yet because overreaction helps no one. So where do you stand? Drop your thoughts in the comments.
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