Caitlin Clark’s fans are no strangers to showing their unwavering support for the player. And now, they’re at it again! Basketball legend Sheryl Swoopes recently made some strong comments that seemed to favor Clark’s teammate, Katie Lou Samuelson, over her. Needless to say, Clark’s loyal followers are not happy. It looks like another round of intense fan loyalty is underway.

According to a social media post, Swoopes declared Samuelson a more valuable player than Clark on her podcast and said that the Indiana Fever could make the playoffs without Clark because she’s “just a passer.”

Well, let’s take a look at the stats and see whether Swoopes’ remarks are too harsh for Caitlin Clark’s season. Clark is making quite a splash in her debut WNBA season, and she’s firmly in the running for Rookie of the Year. With an impressive average of 17.1 points per game and 1.5 assists, there is no doubt that she has proven herself as a standout newcomer. Although, her not making it to Team USA for the Olympics was a shocker but that’s not enough to undermine how impactful she has been for Indiana Fever.

When comparing Caitlin Clark to Katie Lou Samuelson, the numbers tell a clear story. Samuelson, who plays nearly 21 minutes per game, averages 5.1 points. While she matches Clark with 1.5 assists per game, her scoring doesn’t measure up to Clark’s impressive output. Not only on these fronts, Clark has shown her prowess with rebounds as well, averaging 5.8 every game, while Samuelson averages 2.5. These numbers suggest why the fans didn’t take Swoopes’ remarks kindly.

Fans call out Sheryl Swoopes for being “bitter”

One of the X users found Swoopes’ remarks baseless and took a sarcastic dig at her as they suspected that some of Clark’s detractors might even agree with Swoopes. “Gonna be funny when that clip surfaces to see people try to agree with the point that “Katie Lou Samuelson” has been more impactful to the Fever than Caitlin Clark,” the X user wrote. Meanwhile, another fan declared Swoopes a generational hater. “Sheryl Swoopes is a generational hater. Truly a league above the rest. They don’t make ’em like her anymore.”

One fan thought that whatever Swoopes is saying is not an analysis anymore and it’s now an agenda. “At this point, we have to call this out. It’s no longer a legend analyzing a current player. Sheryl Swoopes stating that the Fever would make the playoffs without Caitlin Clark and that Katie Lou is a more valuable player is pure spite,” the fan wrote.

A netizen suggested that Sheryl Swoopes wouldn’t be remembered fondly a couple of decades down the line because of her bitter remarks against a particular player, as they wrote, “The most unfortunate thing is that the majority of people over the next 20 years are going to reflect back on Sheryl Swoopes as a bitter, ignorant loser rather than a distinguished, great athlete.”

In the end, Caitlin Clark’s standout rookie season and impressive stats make it clear that she’s a key player for the Fever. Despite Sheryl Swoopes’ controversial remarks, Clark’s performance speaks volumes about her impact on the court.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting pilot episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and SEC All-Freshman Team Selection, Silas Demary Jr.