Nancy Lieberman, Sheryl Swoopes’ Friendship Is Fractured

 

Caitlin Clark #22 of the Indiana Fever / Sam Hodde/Getty Images/AFP

Time for Everyone to Agree: Clark Is a Phenom

Your ego is not your friend. We have to humble ourselves and do our job… – Nancy Lieberman

This isn’t LeBron vs. Michael. Sheryl Swoopes and Nancy Lieberman, women’s basketball legends, are fighting like teenagers over Caitlin Clark. It’s time for everyone to stop squabbling and appreciate the greatness. No one is debating whether the Indiana Fever guard is the greatest woman to step on a basketball court. She’s a superstar. And there is plenty of room for her on the superstar platform.

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Why is everyone so obsessed with pitting Caitlin Clark against Angel Reese for Rookie of the Year? 🧐

The truth is, @Reese10Angel and @CaitlinClark22 both owned this season and changed the @WNBA forever👑🏀#RookieOfTheYear #WNBA #StopTheDrama

— LockerRoom RAW (@LockerRoom_RAW) September 2, 2024

WNBA Star Clark Shines: Hall of Famers Feud

In WNBA news, Clark and the Fever are red-hot. Indiana is 17-16 and has won 8 of 10 and 4 in a row. Guess who the centerpiece of the run is? Yes, the rookie guard from Iowa. If Clark can have fun and inspire crowds, why are basketball Hall of Famers ruining their friendship over it?

Clark is averaging 18.7 points and 8.4 assists per game in her rookie season.

Now here you go! I get what you trying to do wit ya boy @stephenasmith but it ain’t working. You know good and well what happened. And ditto…my life is good without you too(and him). You wanna go there? https://t.co/puXmIfjy56

— Sheryl Swoopes (@airswoopes22) September 2, 2024

Lieberman made a perfect point when on with Stephen A. Smith, saying, “For this woman to be maligned, you shouldn’t. You don’t have to buy the No. 22 jersey if you don’t want it. But what you should do is applaud her for helping grow this sport that we busted our a** for the last 50 years.”

“My Olympic team back in ’76 just got inducted. Some of my teammates thought they were going to die and never get recognized for being the first Olympics women’s team… The pioneers (of the WNBA) should be saying to Angel Reese, A’ja (Wilson), Jackie Young and all these great players thank you… We stand and support you.”

That should be the beginning and end of the discussion. Why Swoopes has or had a problem with Clark is baffling. Is it a way to become relevant again? If she thinks so, she is misguided.

“I think she (Swoopes) created this firestorm,” Lieberman said. “She can put it out… Your ego is not your amigo. Your ego is not your friend. We have to humble ourselves and do our job… Caitlin may not be her cup of tea. She’s not doing anything to hurt Sheryl Swoopes. She admires Sheryl Swoopes… and the legends that came before her. I would dare say you can’t find a soundbite, this season, of Caitlin Clark, saying anything derogatory about anybody.”

Basketball legend Nancy Lieberman on Caitlin Clark:

“You are going to make all these women multi-millionaires one day. Like Tiger and MJ did. We shouldn’t hate on her. We should celebrate her, not tolerate her.” pic.twitter.com/bH92tA2qtC

— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) September 2, 2024

Blah, Blah, Blah from Swoopes

The never-ending stream of Swoopes social media posts about Clark is tiring and tedious.

Let’s recognize accomplishments on the WNBA courts. Let’s recognize Clark has brought a spotlight to the league it deserves. And, let’s finally recognize Swoopes and Lieberman need to stop fighting.

How much have Clark and her teammates improved the Fever? How about they went over .500 with a victory over Dallas on Sunday in a WNBA game. That marks the first time in five years the Indiana Fever has been over .500.

You think Clark, who has an estimated net worth of $3.8 million, had something to do with that. She is not a one-person team but she has made everyone better and her teammates are helping her improve on the pro level.

Swoopes is a four-time WNBA champion and three-time league MVP. Lieberman was WABA champion and MVP in 1984. They are both great players from generations past. It’s time for them to get it together, Swoopes recognizes Clark for what she is – great – and stops making headlines that aren’t beneficial to the women’s game.

Sheryl Swoopes MVP season vs Caitlin Clark’s rookie season.

No wonder Sheryl can’t stand her 🤣 pic.twitter.com/6MayRIqMfe

— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) September 2, 2024

 

How much does Caitlin Clark make in the WNBA?

Caitlin Clark is playing on a four-year contract signed before her rookie season. The contract’s value is better than $338,000. It equates to about $78,000 per season. That would be about equal to or less than some NBA stars make per game.