Caitlin Clark is busy breaking and setting new records every time she plays in her rookie WNBA season. But it did not come smoothly as she did have to go through some growing pains.
Legend of the game Sheryl Swoopes feels those pains have continued and all is not well with the Indiana Fever. That brought out a response from a former NBA player who was once a teammate to a similarly polarizing player. Sam Dekker was once a part of the Houston Rockets when James Harden made his case as the best player in the NBA. When he saw what Swoopes said, she got a rather fitting reply.
Being on the Rockets with Prime Harden was the best sh*t ever. We were on National TV all the time, won a ton of huge games in awesome moments, and he made the game incredibly easy for guys like me. I don’t believe for a second that the team dislikes it.
Sam Dekker said
Dekker makes it clear that no one really knows what the rest of the team likes. But when a team show a special bond while on the court, it does not indicate that the teammates are unhappy. Sheryl Swoopes took another dig at Caitlin Clark while discussing the WNBA on Gils Arena. She suggested that during the time when Clark and her team were struggling, other star players had to share the burden of those losses. That may not have sat well with them as they faced the brunt of the fans.
Being on the Rockets with Prime Harden was the best shit ever. We were on National TV all the time, won a ton of huge games in awesome moments, and he made the game incredibly easy for guys like me. I don’t believe for a second that the team dislikes it. https://t.co/IthvMtW6Up
— Sam Dekker (@dekker) September 18, 2024
Now that they have been winning, the credit is going to Caitlin Clark. That indicates that those star players, namely Aliyah Boston and Kelsey Mitchell could feel undervalued. They could feel as if they could have been a star elsewhere.
Caitlin Clark’s teammate debunks Sheryl Swoopes’ theory
Sheryl Swoopes suggested that core Indiana Fever players might have felt undervalued after Caitlin Clark joined them and are not happy. But veteran leader Erica Wheeler had quite a few words to say during their shootaround.
All we do is have fun with Caitlin Clark who never takes anything serious. I tell people all the time she’s really a kid at heart. We’re having fun because we kind of understand the outside world was really trying to get inside this building, we just didn’t let it. And having fun is a great way to kinda keep that out.
Erica Wheeler said
Wheeler has been in the WNBA for quite some time to understand team dynamics. For her to say that the Fever enjoy their time with their rookie is a statement good enough to debunk Swoopes’ theory.
Erica Wheeler on the Fever always having fun “All we do is have fun with Caitlin Clark who never takes anything serious. I tell people all the time she’s really a kid at heart…the outside world was really trying to get inside this building we just didn’t let it.” pic.twitter.com/laMbVM6xZ7
— correlation (@nosyone4) September 18, 2024
Erica Wheeler is not the only one as other high 1st round draft picks on the Fever have often talked about her humility. Even Clark’s fierce rival DiJonai Carrington‘s partner NaLyssa Smith speaks highly of the rookie.
The fact that Sheryl Swoopes gathered that thought process based on social media narratives is bizarre in itself. Even rivals were full of praise for the rookie after they shared the court during the All-Star weekend.
