“Acting… Is Over the Top”: Caitlin Clark’s 29 Points Fail to Overshadow On-Court Antics as Iowa Star Gets Scrutinized by Fans in Sweet 16

Caitlin Clark’s NSFW call-out during the win over West Virginia last Monday didn’t go down well with many. After scoring an important basket, she let loose a loud “shut the f*ck up!” This wasn’t the first time her behavior overshadowed her performances on the court and after Iowa made light work of Colorado in the Sweet 16, she was again a topic of debate among fans.

Caitlin Clark was the center of attention as the Hawkeyes eased their way to an 89-68 victory over Colorado. Although the cameras didn’t catch her saying anything explicit this time, it was her constant complaining to the referees that got on the nerves of the fans.

Caitlin Clark’s dad had to remind her to stop complaining

The attention is on Clark in light of offers like Ice Cube’s Big 3 pitch and NIL deals. As such many believe her behavior can be much better. She is the leading scorer in NCAA Division I basketball history and appears to have a bright future ahead with the WNBA’s obvious interest. But her behavior on the court has drawn criticism from some quarters with even her dad asking her to get on with the game.

During her first-round matchup with Holy Cross, Clark also garnered attention for all the wrong reasons. Clark repeatedly made it clear that she was unhappy with the calls made by the referees. Her father, who was courtside, told her to knock it off and yelled a firm “STOPP!” asking her to stop complaining to the referees.

Clark’s influence on the rising popularity of the women’s game is obvious given the TV viewership numbers she has generated. But fans want to see her talent do the talking rather than showing frustration with officiating for most of the time and getting into unnecessary controversy.

READ MORE “Different Offensive Force Than Caitlin Clark”: USC Freshman JuJu Watkins Gets Lauded by Ex-WNBA Star After Sweet 16 Qualification

Following Iowa’s win over Colorado, a few fans once again targeted her for her on-court antics.

“Annoying, Cry baby and overrated” how fans lashed out at Clark for constant complaining

Caitlin Clark bagged 29 points in Iowa’s Sweet 16 win over Colorado, to set up an Elite 8 match against LSU Tigers. But her conduct in the match diverted the attention away from her impressive effort with fans calling her out. A fan said that while they value Clark as a player they think her “acting” isn’t right.

A profile player like Clark will get special attention from her opposition on the court and during the Colorado game the same thing happened. Clark expressed her dissatisfaction with the officiating, but to some fans, it is a recurring theme. One fan called her a “cry baby” due to her constant complaining.

Iowa will face LSU in a rematch of the 2023 national title game. LSU won the championship last season, but a fired-up Clark could make the difference this time around, especially given her run in the March Madness. But one fan is thinking of switching allegiances to support LSU, mainly due to Clark’s behavior.

After her father asked her to get on with the game during the first round against Holy Cross, there was another incident that seemingly annoyed him. During Iowa’s win over West Virginia on Monday, when Clark yelled “Shut the f**k up,” after scoring a crucial basket. The camera then panned to her father, who appeared frustrated as his son tried to calm him down.

Her antics led another fan to brand her as “overrated” and even mentioning that she will be managing the game from the sidelines in a few years.

Maybe Clark’s aggression and behavior on the court isn’t sitting well with a section of fans, but her performances this season have been stellar. Through March 30, Clark is averaging 31.7 points per game this season and seems determined to lead Iowa to the title, they missed out on last year. Standing in her way will be her on-court rival Angel Reese.

Will Clark dominate again and grab the headlines for the right reason? Or will fans get more ammunition to go after her behavior after the Elite 8 match?

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