“If It Wasn’t for Diana Taurasi…”: Robert Griffin III Drops Bold Statement on Caitlin Clark Amid “Targeted” Attacks on the Fever Guard

Caitlin Clark seemingly has a lot of answering to do! Earlier, Antonio “AB” Brown and now, quarterback legend Robert Griffin III have questioned Clark’s potential from the NFL world. Instead of fully discrediting Clark, RGIII chose a middle path, drawing parallels with bigshots like Diana Taurasi, who reigned the WNBA before Clark.

It’s no secret that Caitlin Clark was one of the driving forces behind creating a monumental buzz around collegiate women’s basketball. And now that she’s joined the WNBA, that fame has followed her. According to Griffin III, though, had it not been for her predecessors in the WNBA – who created a firm ground for her – Clark wouldn’t be thriving as much as she is now.

In a conversation with TV host MJ Acosta, RGIII said, “Yes, Caitlin Clark has supercharged the WNBA’s eyeballs. But if it wasn’t for Diana Taurasi and Breanna Stewart and Kelsey Plum and Candace Parker… if it wasn’t for them, there is no groundwork for Caitlin Clark to take it to the moon. But I also believe we can’t discredit Caitlin Clark for taking it to the moon.” As the former quarterback made this confession, he asked Acosta if WNBA legends ever felt like they didn’t exist before the 22-year-old came around.

This feeling of getting “discredited,” per Acosta, is non-existent in the league. She believes that’s simply a narrative started by fans just jumping into the WNBA scene. “Both can exist at the same time. For those who have been around for a long time know that, and the athletes themselves know that. They are legends for a reason,” concluded the TV host.

The WNBA phenom was in the spotlight during and after her game against former NCAA rival Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky on June 1. In the final stages of the third quarter, Clark was shoulder-checked from behind by Sky’s Chennedy Carter – one of the many times the Fever guard was “targeted,” as UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma put it. Stating his case, Auriemma said, “I don’t remember when [Larry] Bird and Magic [Johnson] came in the league and elevated the NBA, them getting targeted and getting beat up just because of who they were and the attention they were getting.”

Getting “targeted” is definitely one of the downsides of being a force like Caitlin Clark. While this may not affect the Fever guard much, there’s another roadblock she’s having to face, all because of her die-hard fanbase. With the Paris Olympics just a couple of months away, many expected Clark to make the team. However, she didn’t, and USA Today reported that “concern over how Clark’s millions of fans would react to what would likely be limited playing time on a stacked roster” contributed to her being left out.

With seasoned professionals and legends like Diana Taurasi, A’ja Wilson, and Breanna Stewart making up the team, there was little chance that Clark would’ve gotten to play as much as her fans would’ve hoped. That said, she’s making the most of her time on the floor, playing for the Indiana Fever. On Friday, Clark tied the WNBA rookie record and set the Fever rookie record with 7 made 3-pointers. Her seven triples are tied with the Starzz’s Elena Baranova (July 22, 1997), the Comets’ Cynthia Cooper (July 25, 1997), and the Liberty’s Crystal Robinson (July 24, 1999).

Additionally, Caitlin Clark is only the third WNBA player to have more than 100 points, 30 rebounds, and 30 assists in her first 6 games. Leading the rookie class in scoring (17.6 points), assists (6.6), field goals (46), and free throws (42), she matched Taurasi’s total 3-pointers made this season (24), too! Coming back to Robert Griffin III, this Caitlin Clark saga started with some unexpected attention from his, garnering interest from WNBA fans as one of her biggest backers.

RGIII’s contradictory statements on Clark

Griffin’s stance on Caitlin Clark shifted suddenly in just a few days. Initially, all the NFL legend had for CC was respect for her competitive nature. In his May 31 X post, he showered praise on the WNBA phenom, “Caitlin Clark has SUPERCHARGED Women’s Basketball. She is a STAR.” 

The X post that followed openly addressed how she had been heckled during the match against Chicago Sky. “Okay, this IS HATING on Caitlin Clark. Face guarding, extremely aggressive play and the occasional hard foul can be describe as competitiveness. Going out of your way to call her out of her name and body check her to the floor without the ball is HATING,” came RGIII’s stance. 

However, the targets are natural because of the charges of envy. The 22-year-old WNBA star is making $20 million a year and is already one of the Top 10 players in the whole league. As a result, Caitlin Clark is likely to remain a focus of criticism for a long time to come.