NBA Veteran Unimpressed by Caitlin Clark’s Semifinal Mastery, Discredits “Underrated” Play

As Iowa and Caitlin Clark gear up to make their second consecutive appearance in the National Championship game, fans on social media have doused the players in praise. The official X page of Slam University appreciated the 22-year-old player’s inbound play that played a significant role in buying some time and eventually leading her team to win the game. After trailing behind in the first quarter, Clark truly compensated for it in the second half. However, a veteran NBA player disagreed with the praise, labeling it as an old basketball move that many players had previously executed.

“Pearl Washington and Keith Gatling both did this — in the early 80’s. And thousands upon thousands since. Come on yall,” Rex Chapman wrote on X. In his post, he referenced Washington’s inbounds play against the Portland Trailblazers in 1987.

The post had a clip of Clark’s game and read, “This inbounds play by Caitlin Clark was SO SMART. Underrated moment.” Chapman might be one of those who were unimpressed by what went down in the Final Four game. Here’s what went down.

The controversy on Iowa’s Final Four game

The most awaited UConn Huskies game against the Iowa Hawkeyes ended in quite a controversial fashion. UConn star Paige Bueckers was just seconds close to her game-winning shot when the illegal screen foul changed the game. An offensive foul was called on Aaliyah Edwards just when the team was trailing by one point and a very few seconds left on the clock. Eventually, Clark and her team won 71-69 at the Final Four. 

While many fans celebrated the Hawkeyes’ victory, some fans, players, and even experts continue to criticize the game’s officials on social media. While Edwards claimed that according to her, the screen was clean, numerous agreed with her. Angel Reese and Los Angeles Lakers legend LeBron James also raised their doubts on X.

Later in the post-game conference, Bueckers said, “Everybody can make a big deal out of that one single play, but not one single play wins a basketball game. … There was a lot of mistakes that I made.”

What is your take on the matter? Let us know in the comments section below.

READ MORE: Who’s Caitlin Clark Facing Off in 1st Round of March Madness? Everything You Need to Know About Iowa’s First Opponent in NCAA Tournament