Caitlin Clark had her critics before the 2024 WNBA draft. Despite becoming the all-time lead scorer in NCAA Division I history among both men and women, her worthiness in competing against the world’s best was heavily questioned. Leading the pack against Clark’s fans was UConn Huskies women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma. But his comments on the now Rookie of the Year leader have backfired.

Auriemma has led UConn to 11 NCAA Division 1 championships. So on paper, his analysis can usually be taken as the final word. But here’s what he said about Clark in June on ‘The Dan Patrick Show’: “The delusional fanbase that follows her disrespected the WNBA players by saying she’s gonna win that league and tear it apart. There were actually odds on… like she’s third of fourth in betting odds on being MVP of the WNBA. These people are so disrespectful and so unknowledgeable and so stupid that it gives women’s basketball a bad name,” he added.

Cut to today, the Iowa alum is ranked 6th in the 2024 KIA MVP ladder. What makes this situation worse for Auriemma is that Clark is nearing former UConn star and 2x WNBA champ, Breanna Stewart, who is 4th in the rankings.

Maybe Auriemma should’ve held back and waited to watch a few of Caitlin Clark’s games. She has broken multiple records in her rookie year and in tonight’s game against the Dallas Wings, she notched a career-high 35 points. One of the few ex-players who backed her throughout did so again after this cold-blooded performance.

Lisa Leslie claps back at Caitlin Clark’s haters

Ahead of Caitlin Clark’s debut for the Fever, 10-time WNBA All-Star Diana Taurasi was quite skeptical. The Phoenix Mercury Guard warned the rookie that “reality is coming” when she enters the pinnacle of women’s basketball. Interestingly, she is also a UConn alum who Clark proved wrong. But countering such criticism from the beginning was 3x WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie.

In August, playing against the Connecticut Sun, Clark set the record for most 3s made by a rookie. “I’m so proud of you and you are just getting started!! Let it Rain,” Leslie wrote for the Indiana guard on X. Tonight, Clark broke the WNBA rookie scoring record set by Seimone Augustus (744) in 2006.

Lisa Leslie showed up again to laugh at the Indiana rookie’s haters. “Now I’m just laughing at all the folks who thought it was going to take her some time to adjust😂😂😂😂😂 I told ya’ll!” she commented under an ESPN post-game Instagram post.

In Friday’s game against the Las Vegas Aces, Clark also broke the WNBA single-season assists record previously held by Alyssa Thomas (316). A rookie shattering all-time WNBA records was rarely seen before this Iowa superstar showed up. With an entire WNBA career ahead of her, many Geno Auriemmas are on track to be proven wrong.