"That fanbase is fuming": WNBA fans react to Dawn Staley's massive statement on Caitlin Clark

Dawn Staley has continued to heap praise on Caitlin Clark. When Staley’s South Carolina beat Clark’s Iowa in the 2024 NCAA championship, the coach thanked Clark for her impact on the game. The WNBA legend called the future Indiana Fever guard “one of the GOATS of our game.”

On Around the W on Thursday, Staley predicted Clark “will go down as probably one of the best players to ever grace the league.” The former Iowa superstar is only in her second year in the pros.

Fans promptly reacted to Dawn Staley’s comments about Caitlin Clark:

One fan said:

ComfyFriendlyFan

@SpeegSpuggly

That fanbase is FUMING rn​

Another fan added:

MrFish

@KFish71

Uh oh, Dawn better prepare to get called all kinds of names for talking up Clark. Some people hate that stuff.​

One more fan continued:

Steph

@SSunth328

This is what a lot of us have been waiting for. But one person is only a start but a great start. I hope “others” will take note and see that it’s just ok to be honest.​

Another fan commented:

Cheryl Stockton

@cstockton1960

Am I hearing her right? Omg. Caitlin got some respect.​

Cyhawk$

@@CyhawkSeemoney

Good on you Dawn! Spreader the love! What goes around comes around!❤️​

Staley harped on the skills that made Clark a household name in college. The South Carolina tactician emphasized the point guard's scoring and said Clark's passing ability and court vision are "second to none." Clark led the WNBA in assists last season with 8.4 per game and broke the single-season assists record with 337.

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Dawn Staley claimed she would have reconsidered Caitlin Clark for a 2024 Olympic spot

Many criticized Team USA for leaving Caitlin Clark off the Olympic team. While the Americans competed in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Dawn Staley caught the action and agreed to an interview with NBC's Mike Tirico.

When asked about Clark not making the team, Staley responded:

“Caitlin is just a rookie in the WNBA, wasn’t playing bad, but wasn’t playing like she’s playing now. If we had to do it all over again, the way that she’s playing, she would be in really high consideration of making the team because she is playing head and shoulders above a lot of people.”

Staley added that Clark had shown vast improvements in her game in just two months. Although the rookie struggled in the first half of her WNBA rookie season, she steadily improved to lead the Indiana Fever to the playoffs.