“Caitlin Clark Did Not Get People the Charter Flights”: Shaquille O’Neal’s Ex-Agent Dispels Big WNBA Myth (Exclusive)

Charles Barkley went on a tangent during TNT’s coverage of the Western Conference Finals to call out anybody in the WNBA who is not Caitlin Clark. He went on a long rant, repeatedly harping all the ladies need to let go of “petty jealousy” and thank CC for the charter flights and extra perks which were previously unheard of in the WNBA. It rubbed most of the league and its supporters the wrong way. Sure the arrival of the WNBA private jets coincided with the new rookie class of dynamos, but it wasn’t like the league scrambled jets in a month to give Clark&Co. special treatment.

Leonard Armato was there when LSU standout Shaquille O’Neal arrived in Orlando’s fledgling NBA team. It would be a year when Magic saw upgrades, as Dennis Scott put it, specifically for Shaq. Armato weighed in on the Caitlin Clark effect that has taken over the WNBA on another edition of Fancast with EssentiallySports. And while he acknowledges that Clark is bringing the WNBA out of the shadows, the perks are just an overdue coincidence.

Armato: “Caitlin Clark did not get people the charter flights. That was something that the WNBA players have been lobbying for and Caitlin Clark hasn’t really done anything to create more value from the standpoint of media rights and all that other stuff that ultimately will result in higher WNBA salaries and more benefits, etc.”

What goes unsaid is that Armato has seen this phenomenon. Magic legends recalled at Shaq’s jersey retirement ceremony in February how his arrival got the team respect from Orlando residents, upgraded commercial flights to private jets, a van, and staff to carry their luggage, and regular hotels to the Ritz. And it’s never sudden. It came with some victories.

Armato: “She’s definitely going to be a big, big part of the growth of the league and hopefully it’ll be a catalyst for future growth but it hasn’t kicked in yet. So the fact that she signed with the WNBA didn’t really do anything to create like charter flights. So I think you know Charles Barkley was a little bit you know overstepping when he said that.”

The rookies have drawn greater attendance and viewership and earning praise for the WNBA’s highest revenue growth ever. But Chuck’s commentary irked many.

Charles Barkley was a bit extra

How exactly did Chuck overstep? After the debacle that started when Clark was hard-fouled in a game against Angel Reese’s Sky, LeBron James was among the many NBA veterans speaking out in support of Clark. Barkley went a step further with a live TV rant.

“Hey, LeBron, you’re 100 percent right on these girls hating on Caitlin Clark. Y’all petty, girls. I expect men to be petty because we’re the most insecure group in the world. Y’all should be thanking that girl for getting y’all a— private charters, all the money and visibility she’s bringing to the WNBA. Don’t be petty like dudes,” the 61-year-old said.

This is just half of what he said. He’d repeat in multiple interviews afterward. And even got his friend in some hot water. Shaquille O’Neal was sitting across from him and couldn’t get a word in edgewise before Inside the NBA cut to a commercial.

O’Neal later said on The Big Podcast that Reese called him upset because he didn’t defend her and the other players. He blamed it on Chuck’s talkative habits and proceeded to hail Reese, Kamila Cardoza, and Cameron Brink too, for growing the WNBA.