Let’s be real. If you’ve spent more than five minutes on sports Twitter or watched a single WNBA segment over the last year, you’ve seen the names Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark side-by-side. Usually with a lot of fire emojis and some very angry people in the comments. It’s been messy.
Honestly, it’s one of the weirdest sagas in modern basketball. You have Swoopes, an absolute Mt. Rushmore legend of the game, and Clark, the rookie who basically set the sports world on fire. You’d think they’d be the perfect torch-passing duo. Instead? We got months of podcast clips, "silence" during broadcasts, and a fractured friendship between legends that nobody saw coming.
People love a good rivalry, but this one felt different. It felt personal. But if you actually look at the timeline—the real one, not the one being shouted about on daytime talk shows—it’s a lot more nuanced than just "hating."
The Podcast Clip That Started the Fire
It basically all started on Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, Gil’s Arena, back in February 2024. Swoopes was talking about Clark’s pursuit of the NCAA scoring record.
She made a few claims that, frankly, were just wrong. She said Clark was a "25-year-old playing against 20-year-olds" and that she had a fifth year of eligibility due to COVID. Swoopes also suggested Clark was taking about 40 shots a game.
The Reality Check:
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- Age: Caitlin Clark was 22 at the time, not 25.
- Eligibility: She was in her fourth year, not a fifth-year senior using a COVID waiver.
- Shot Volume: Clark was averaging around 20 shots per game, not 40.
Swoopes eventually admitted she got the stats wrong. She even sent a text to Clark to apologize privately. Clark, being Clark, took it in stride. But the internet? The internet does not forget. That one interview set the tone for everything that followed, creating a "Swoopes vs. Clark" narrative that neither woman seemed able to shake.
Why Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark Still Matters in 2026
You might wonder why we’re still talking about this. It's because this wasn't just about a missed stat. It was about the growing pains of a league finally getting the spotlight it deserved.
When Clark entered the WNBA, the "Caitlin Clark effect" was undeniable. Sold-out arenas. Private charters for teams. Millions of new eyes. For the "Old Guard"—the women like Swoopes who played in front of tiny crowds for pennies—that shift is complicated. It’s a mix of "finally!" and "where was this for us?"
The Nancy Lieberman Fallout
This is where it got truly dramatic. Nancy Lieberman, another legend, actually called Swoopes to tell her to get the facts right. According to Lieberman, that phone call ended a friendship that went back to 1992. Think about that. Thirty-plus years of friendship gone over a disagreement about a rookie’s scoring record.
Lieberman ended up replacing Swoopes on a Dallas Wings broadcast in late 2024 after Swoopes famously went silent for nearly a minute while her co-commentator was praising Clark. It was awkward. You could feel the tension through the screen.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the "Bias"
There’s a common narrative that Swoopes just "hates" Clark. If you look at her more recent comments in late 2025 and early 2026, the tone has shifted. Sorta.
On an espnW TikTok appearance, Swoopes actually praised the Indiana Fever’s offseason moves. She acknowledged how much stronger Clark had gotten in the gym. She called the Fever a potential championship contender.
Does that mean they’re best friends now? No. But it shows that the "feud" is often more about how we, the fans and the media, consume sports drama than what’s actually happening in the locker rooms.
The "White Privilege" Conversation
We can’t talk about these two without mentioning the elephant in the room. In her TIME Athlete of the Year interview, Clark specifically mentioned her "white privilege" and how the league was built on the backs of Black women.
Swoopes’ reaction was... quiet. She didn't bash it. She didn't celebrate it. She just noted she was curious about the criteria for the award. For a lot of people, that silence was a statement. For others, it was just a veteran player who is tired of being asked about a rookie every time she opens her mouth.
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Actionable Insights: How to Follow the WNBA Without the Noise
If you’re a new fan who came for Clark but wants to stay for the league, here is how you navigate the drama:
- Check the Box Scores: Don't rely on podcast clips for stats. If someone says a player is "taking 40 shots," go to the WNBA app and look it up.
- Diversify Your Feed: Follow legends like Lisa Leslie and Dawn Staley, who have been vocal about Clark’s impact while still honoring the history of the game.
- Ignore the "Hot Take" Industrial Complex: Shows like First Take thrive on division. The actual players—like Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell—are usually much more supportive of each other than the media suggests.
- Watch the Games, Not the Clips: The best way to see the "Clark effect" isn't a 30-second Twitter video of a foul. It’s watching how she draws three defenders, opening up the floor for her teammates.
The Sheryl Swoopes and Caitlin Clark story isn't a simple "villain vs. hero" arc. It’s a story about a league changing faster than anyone expected. It’s about legends protecting their legacy and a newcomer trying to find her footing in a house she didn't build, but is certainly helping to renovate.
Keep an eye on the 2026 season. With the Fever adding veteran pieces like DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard, the conversation is finally moving away from podcast drama and back to the hardwood where it belongs.
Next Steps for You:
Check out the latest Indiana Fever roster updates for the 2026 season to see how the "new look" team is shaping up around Clark. You can also look into the WNBA’s expansion news, as the league continues to grow at a record pace.