When Charles Barkley came on The Bill Simmons Podcast this week, he created a vague conspiracy theory – that the WNBA is sabotaging itself by sabotaging Caitlin Clark. A diehard fan of the Indiana Fever rookie, he continued his tirade against the league for not treating her right. Naturally, there were reactions to his loaded commentary. The last time he went on a rant, WNBA stars slammed him. This time, Renee Montgomery has a more passive response. She doesn’t comment on Barkley’s remarks. But she does give a perspective on why Chuck feels that way.

For starters, she had to process Chuck’s rant on The Dan LeBatard Show. And she made it very clear, she has no hard feelings against one of her favorite basketball players. “There’s a lot to unpack there. Turner, he’s my guy,” she said and then explained the phenomenon that branched out from the Caitlin Clark Effect. “It’s crazy because I think there are two different entities. I think that there’s Caitlin Clark and then I think there’s Caitlin Clark Fans.”

Note that Clark has never once said a bad word about the league, she’s held her own, only fawned over the veterans, and not agreed with her fans going after her critics. And as a player, Montgomery sees ROTY potential in CC. “I think that the human basketball player, Caitlin Clark, she’s obviously amazing, Rookie of the Year… like this is that simple. Like she’s doing things that we see great rookies… you know I played in an era of the Maya Moores and the Candace Parkers. So I know what good and great players look like. That’s Caitlin Clark.”

That makes it obvious that Montgomery is in awe of Clark, contrary to what a large faction on social media thinks. Yet, she’s public enemy #1 for Clark’s fans for being overtly supportive. Because she says, “Then you have the Caitlin Clark fans. I dont know what that it is. Sometimes I think that there’s an agenda happening with these fans.”

Interestingly, Barkley claims there’s an agenda in the WNBA. “These ladies – and I’m a WNBA fan – they could not have f—ed this Caitlin Clark thing up even worse if they tried,” he told Bill Simmons a day before LeBatard’s show. He likened it to a ‘master plan’ fueled by “petty jealousness” (yes, he invented the word for it) concocted by the WNBA to botch the popularity Clark is bringing.

Montgomery implies that a narrative is formed around Clark by people who are not her. She otherwise is not against her, nor is she offended by Barkley.

Atlanta Dream legend plays it safe with Caitlin Clark

The 2x WNBA champion has her own example to show. Months earlier, Renee Montgomery felt the ROTY race was close between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese. But she genuinely felt that A’ja Wilson had MVP in the bag. Predictably, her mentions were filled with accusations that she was diminishing Clark when she said no such thing.

The Atlanta Dream Vice President welcomed Clark into the league around the same time Barkley ranted at the NBA playoffs that the WNBA needs to be grateful to Clark. It seems a lot like the praise Montgomery heaps on Clark is overlooked by Clark’s fans to push an ‘agenda’ that she’s victimized.

Montgomery outrightly says she’s got “no dog in this fight” related to Clark’s fans. Her priority has only been Atlanta Dream and its growth.

She goes on to say that as athletes, she and Clark are thick-skinned. So this commentary doesn’t affect them. Chuck can try though.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And 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.