Love her or hate her, but if you have even an ounce of interest in basketball, there is no ignoring Caitlin Clark. And former NBA star Evan Turner has gone through both phases — from criticizing the fever rookie to complimenting her.

“Caitlin Clark the sauce. I owe her an apology,” Turner wrote in a recent post on X. The former Boston Celtics star had earlier bashed Clark for the higher amount of attention and hype she attracts over Angel Reese. There is no denying that both the WNBA rookies have contributed to the task they were entrusted with — increasing the WNBA popularity among the audience.

But it’s no secret that Clark has enjoyed a higher popularity from her last college season itself. The peak of this was visible during the NCAA run. Although Reese has also frequented the media headlines, her popularity is lacking in comparison to the Fever rookie. And the pre-existing rivalry between the two does no good for this situation.

It was amid all of this that Turner came down on Clark stating, “She getting so much [attention]. I’m getting tired of seeing her a**.” Meanwhile, the ex-Celtics star extended his support for Reese, as he believes she has shown up and led the whole thing with the WNBA with grace. “She put on for the WNBA and then once again it proved that it wasn’t too much for her. Because she came right back out the next night and had a hell of a performance,” he said.

However, the former NBA star seemed to backtrack on his words after the recent matchup. The Fever rookie scored an impressive 31 points and 12 assists to lead her team to a 100-81 win. Meanwhile, Reese could manage just 10 points but 11 rebounds for her team.

Neither Angel Reese nor Caitlin Clark are focusing on the Rookie of the Year award

Given the rivalry between the two from their college days, it’s only natural for fans and media to assume that both players will be aiming to claim Rookie of the Year. While the honor either way means a recognition of the fresh talent, in this scenario it could establish the higher ground of one over the other.

However, contrary to popular belief, both WNBA rookies have denied any major ambitions regarding the award. “I think me and Angel would both give you the same answer, we don’t wake up and think about individual awards,” Clark said during a recent media interaction. She further pointed out that it’s the media who believes this way and therefore similar articles.

In a rare moment of agreement, even Reese gave her approval to Clark’s opinion on the entire thing. “We don’t either care about the Rookie of the Year… I think you guys have made it a big thing,” she said. But there is no denying that even if the two players don’t care for it, the fans will be rooting for their favorite rookie. As per the majority of reports, Caitlin Clark is leading the ROTY race as of now. And it seems even former critic Evan Turner would have no objections to this now.

Stay tuned for more such updates. Further, join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.